It felt like everyone and their mother knew the Pittsburgh Steelers were trying to trade for a wide receiver, but that doesn’t mean the trade deadline came without surprises. Edge rusher Preston Smith is now a member of the Steelers, with GM Omar Khan giving up very little to acquire him. The move should set the Steelers up nicely at edge rusher for the rest of the season. According to former Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster, it sounds like Mike Tomlin has been interested in Smith for a while now.
“Coach [Tomlin] has always been a fan of him since he was in Washington,” Foster wrote Tuesday on Twitter. “Wednesday team meetings on Preston [Smith] was always very detailed. Good to see him in black and gold.”
Smith has been in the NFL since 2015, playing for both the Washington Commanders and the Green Bay Packers. He suited up against Steelers once while in Washington, and twice in Green Bay. Funny enough, Smith hadn’t recorded a sack against the Steelers until he played them last year. Maybe that game reaffirmed Tomlin’s desire to have Smith on his team.
Foster was only on the team for one of those games against Smith, but it sounds like Tomlin made sure to emphasize his presence. That could be part of why he didn’t have a great game against the Steelers.
The Steelers reportedly had Smith in for a pre-draft visit back in 2015, showing just how long Tomlin has coveted him. Now, Tomlin will have a chance to unleash Smith’s skill set on opposing teams.
Smith may not be in his prime anymore, with the pass rusher turning 32 in just a couple of weeks. However, he should serve as a great depth piece for the Steelers. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith will start and Nick Herbig will be the main backup, but Smith should have a solid rotational role.
In 10 NFL seasons, including this one, Smith has accumulated 68.5 sacks. He’s had eight in each of the last three seasons as well. He may only have 2.5 so far this year but has played in a reduced role. That just goes to show how consistent Smith has been though.
It might not be the move some people expected, but trading for Smith could prove incredibly helpful down the stretch. At this point, Tomlin has earned enough trust to bring in guys he wants and believes can help the team. Edge rusher depth will be key in the playoffs, and we’ll see if Smith can help the Steelers have some success there.
