The Pittsburgh Steelers need a wide receiver. Fans know it, the media knows it, the organization finally knows it after failing to properly address it throughout the 2024 season. A number of intriguing pending free agents are about to flood the market next month, and there are several options who could be had via trade. That includes the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp and as thought out by ESPN, there’s a deal to send him to Pittsburgh.
Ben Solak walked through several trade scenarios for NFL players on the block and mapped out what he deemed would be a “perfect” deal between the Rams and Steelers.
“Steelers get: Kupp, 2026 sixth-round pick
Rams get: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick
The optimal world has the Rams swallowing the roster bonus on Kupp to make him more tradeable, then finding a landing spot he likes in a role that suits him. My favorite here is the Steelers, as Kupp can be their primary pass catcher (from a target perspective) and George Pickens is their primary playmaker (from a yards and touchdowns perspective). The lack of consistency from Pickens, as well as from the receivers behind him (Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson) was a glaring issue in Pittsburgh last season.”
Even in a world where the Rams eat money to move Kupp, something they’re reportedly willing to do, giving up a Day 2 pick in this year’s draft is a lot for a soon-to-be 32-year-old receiver who has struggled to stay healthy. Kupp’s still capable of making an on-field impact but hasn’t played more than 12 games in any of the last three seasons. Advancing age only increases injury risk.
Fitting Cooper Kupp into the offense is an additional concern even knowing, as Solak points out, the Steelers’ wide receiver depth chart is one of football’s weakest. Primarily a slot receiver logging over 62 percent of his snaps there last season isn’t a fit in Arthur Smith’s multiple-tight ends offense that usually trots out just two receivers. Kupp’s size, physicality, and blocking are all attractive, but Pittsburgh probably won’t maximize him the way Los Angeles has. Solak theorizes pairing Kupp with QB Matthew Stafford but the odds of that happening seem remote.
If there is any deal to be had, the price tag must be cheaper. Pittsburgh getting back a future sixth-round pick does little to move that needle. At most, the Steelers should only give up a 2025 Day 3 pick, perhaps a fourth rounder, for Kupp. Given the Rams’ lack of leverage, there doesn’t appear to be a scenario in which Kupp returns, they’ll take whatever they can get for him to avoid paying his substantial $12.5 million base salary.
This might be a great trade for the Rams. Not for the Steelers.
