The Pittsburgh Steelers have been connected with pretty much every wide receiver who has become available on the trade market, but with just a few hours until the trade deadline, the Steelers have come up empty when it comes to acquiring anybody. During his weekly press conference, Mike Tomlin said the Steelers are having active trade discussions at wide receiver and other positions.
“We work the trade market, not only at [wide receiver] but all positions. I think every team does, particularly those of us that are looking to lean in as the road gets narrow. So I acknowledge that we’re active participants in trade discussions,” Tomlin said Tuesday via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “But to be quite honest with you, we always are. So I wouldn’t read too much into that behavior. I just think that’s normal, prudent business for us if you’re trying to be a developing world-championship outfit.”
Tomlin added that Russell Wilson’s presence doesn’t change their “appetite for adding talent” at wide receiver or any other position. The trade deadline is 4 PM/ET.
Pittsburgh’s wide receiver pursuit started this offseason when the team tried to trade for San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, and it was also linked to WR Davante Adams. Other receivers, including Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins, have been traded in recent weeks, but the Steelers haven’t been able to come away with anyone as of now.
Names that Pittsburgh could target at receiver today include Mike Williams of the New York Jets and Adam Thielen of the Carolina Panthers. Tomlin also acknowledged that the Steelers could add at another position, something Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentioned as a possibility yesterday. At 6-2, it makes sense for the Steelers to look for any area where they feel they can upgrade their roster as they look to make a playoff run and win their first postseason game since 2016.
We’ll know in just a few hours how successful the Steelers are in their pursuit to add to their roster. Pittsburgh has been active on the deadline in the past under Omar Khan, trading WR Chase Claypool and trading for CB William Jackson III ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, and it sounds as if the Steelers’ front office is once again working the phones to try to make something happen. The team also missed out on WR Christian Kirk, who broke his collarbone last week, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Pittsburgh had been working out a trade for Kirk and that the team still wants to acquire a wide receiver.
While whoever they acquire may not be a flashy name, adding depth and pieces to help the Steelers win down the stretch would be nice. We’ll find out in just a few hours whether Khan can get that done.
