If the Pittsburgh Steelers want to bring home a wide receiver, they may need to make a call to Foxborough. The Patriots have several receivers reportedly on the trade block, including K.J. Osborn, a name generating late buzz hours ahead of the 4 PM/EST deadline.
FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweeted Tuesday morning that “a few teams” are targeting him as a trade option.
It’s not clear if the Steelers are in the mix. Osborn’s name hasn’t been mentioned much this trade cycle simply because he’s hardly played. Though he’s appeared in six games, he’s logged only 203 offensive snaps and caught seven passes. Those have gone for 57 yards and one touchdown. After catching three passes in the opener, he’s only caught more than two on one other occasion.
His best days stem from the previous three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Osborn, 26, hauled in 48 passes for 540 yards and three scores last season. His production the previous two years was even better, going over 600 yards in 2021 and 2022. For his career, Osborn has recorded 165 receptions for 1,902 yards and 16 touchdowns.
A fifth-round pick out of Miami (Fla.), he tested well at the Combine. Weighing in at 5114, 203 pounds, he ran a 4.48-40 with a 37.5-inch vertical and 10’3″ broad jump. He signed a one-year, $4 million with the Patriots this March. He’s a free agent after this season.
Other Patriots receivers whose names have been floated over the last week are Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton. Bourne is coming off injury but has been versatile and consistent throughout his career. Reportedly, the San Francisco 49ers had interest in trading for him as part of a deal for Brandon Aiyuk before things fell through. Thornton is a speedster and former second-round pick out of Baylor. However, his NFL career has struggled to lift off, Thornton catching 39 passes since being drafted. That includes only four this season.
Any of these players figure to be cheap to acquire and would only cost a late-Day 3 selection.
The trade deadline is 4 PM/EST today. Insiders still think the Steelers will make a trade but the clock is ticking.
