The trade deadline is looming in just under three weeks on Nov. 5. What used to be a relatively quiet part of the NFL calendar has exploded in recent years with teams getting much more aggressive to upgrade their teams in the middle of the season. ESPN’s Jason McCourty thinks the Pittsburgh Steelers should pursue a trade for Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins to help get them over the top.
There are some pretty notable examples of in-season trades working out recently. In 2021, the Los Angeles Rams traded for Von Miller and went on to win the Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey in 2022, and he instantly turned them into a Super Bowl contender. Could an in-season trade for the Steelers help elevate their group? McCourty seems to think so.
“[Adam Schefter] said the wide receivers are at a premium, so I want to keep it right there. DeAndre Hopkins goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers,” McCourty said via ESPN’s Get Up as each panelist listed their favorite trade idea. “While [Mike] Tomlin is flirting about playing Russell Wilson, hopefully that he’s able to get the ball out and get it on the edge a little bit more. Do you guys know who the second leading receiver is on the Pittsburgh Steelers outside the numbers? No, you have no idea because it’s Najee Harris. They need help on the outside, no doubt. And a guy like DeAndre Hopkins, who wins contested passes, he can go out there and win and really help them.”
This came on the heels of Adam Schefter listing some possible trade targets to keep an eye on leading up to the trade deadline. His list on Get Up included Hopkins. The Titans are 1-4, so it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for them to unload some salary cap money for an older player like DeAndre Hopkins, who will have his contract voided after this season anyway.
Over The Cap posted the cost to acquire possible trade targets at the beginning of October after the first four weeks of the season and had Hopkins at $7,212,222 million. With a few more weeks of game checks out of the way, that would be slightly lower.
To be clear, there have been no reports linking the Steelers to Hopkins, and at 33 years old his best days are definitely behind him. He has 20 targets this season and has caught 14 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, though he did have over 1,000 receiving yards a year ago. The Titans haven’t exactly been a great team this season, so perhaps he could find more success opposite George Pickens with Justin Fields or Russell Wilson throwing him the ball.
Who from that list of Schefter’s trade candidates would you most like to see the Steelers pursue before the deadline? Currently Mike Williams seems the most likely with credible reports linking him to the team.
