The Pittsburgh Steelers may not be in the market for a No. 1 wide receiver after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. But they sure are lacking in experienced NFL talent right now. That’s why Chris Simms said he would be surprised if they don’t add a veteran wide receiver before camp. Could that receiver be former Jacksonville Jaguars WR Gabe Davis?
If you missed Davis being released by the Jaguars on Wednesday, that’s okay. It happened only hours after the Steelers traded Pickens, so most of us were focused on another wide receiver move. But maybe Davis could be part of the solution to the Steelers’ wide receiver depth problems.
When Tyler Sullivan profiled five landing spots for Davis on CBSSports.com, he named the Steelers as part of that list.
“The Steelers are suddenly in need of some receiver depth after trading away George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday,” Sullivan wrote. “Of course, the top spot on Pittsburgh’s depth chart is filled after the acquisition of DK Metcalf earlier this offseason. Beyond that, however, there are some questions with Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, and Robert Woods the next notable names on the roster. This landing spot would provide Davis the opportunity to carve out a healthy target share. With all that said, the giant caveat for the Steelers is that they are currently still in Aaron Rodgers purgatory, so their quarterback situation isn’t exactly clear at the moment, which Davis may find unappealing.”
It was a bit of a surprise that the Jaguars cut Davis only one year into a three-year deal. But he had his worst season of his NFL career in Jacksonville. He only played in 10 games and caught 20 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He dealt with a shoulder injury early in the season and then was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions.
But during his first four years in the league, Gabe Davis proved to be a big-play threat with the Buffalo Bills. He had three seasons with seven touchdowns (the other season, he had six). He averaged 16.7 yards per reception during that time as well.
And there was Davis’ Week 5 performance against the Steelers in 2022. He only had three catches on six targets. But he finished with 171 yards and two touchdowns, including a 98-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown only a minute into the game.
WHAT A START! GABE DAVIS 98 YARDS! 💨
(via @BuffaloBills)pic.twitter.com/s7kNzeY1TB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 9, 2022
Could Davis be a fit with the Steelers? If he’s fully healthy, he’s only a year removed from a 45-catch, 746-yard season (with seven touchdowns). I think the Steelers would love that kind of production from a WR2. But as Sullivan notes, the Pittsburgh’s quarterback could compel Davis to look elsewhere. After all, he caught passes from Bills QB Josh Allen for the first four years of his career.
