The Pittsburgh Steelers have been hot on the trail of wide receiver help dating back to before the 2024 NFL Draft. Every big-name receiver that has become available or even has a chance at becoming available, the Steelers have been linked to. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on X, the Steelers were very close to finalizing a deal on Jacksonville Jaguars WR Christian Kirk before he broke his collarbone.
“The Steelers were in the process of trying to get a deal done for Christian Kirk, and league sources told ESPN that there was a reasonable chance that the Jaguars wide receiver was going to wind up as a Steeler until he broke his collarbone last Sunday,” Schefter wrote via ESPN. “Pittsburgh’s hope of upgrading its receiving corps was derailed, at least temporarily. But the Steelers are not giving up, a league source told ESPN.”
Kirk has 27 receptions on 47 targets for 379 yards and a touchdown this season for the 2-6 Jaguars.
They have been a pretty obvious seller at the deadline after a massively disappointing start to the season. They already traded OT Cam Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings. Along with Kirk, they also have Devin Duvernay on IR, and their other receivers are banged up with rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis working through injuries. Unfortunately, they don’t really have another trade target with Kirk now injured.
As has been reported several times from several different NFL insiders, the Steelers are still actively calling around to attempt to upgrade at the receiver position. New York Jets WR Mike Williams has been a popular name linked to the Steelers, but Schefter also listed another notable name.
“The Steelers have been making calls and checking on any and all available wide receivers before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, including the Jets’ Mike Williams and the Panthers’ Adam Thielen, according to league sources,” Schefter wrote.
Williams remains a possibility, but Allen Lazard was placed on IR recently and the Jets just won a game to give themselves a sliver of hope in the AFC playoff picture. Thielen is a bit more interesting. The Panthers don’t have a great reason to hang onto him as a 34-year-old on one of the worst teams in the league.
The trade deadline will happen on Nov. 5, this upcoming Tuesday at 4:00 PM/ET.
