Should Pittsburgh Steelers enter the Tyreek Hill trade talks?

The Kansas City Chiefs have given star WR Tyreek Hill permission to seek a trade. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers be calling? 

This news really caught me off guard. The Kansas City Chiefs — one of the NFL’s powerhouse offenses since 2018 — have decided to allow All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to seek a trade, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.

This comes after contract extension talks stalled between Hill’s agent and the Chiefs. As you are probably well aware, Hill has been one of the most efficient and productive wide receivers in the NFL since entering the league back in 2016. Miraculously, he has made the Pro Bowl every single year of his career so far and has been named a first-team All-Pro player three times.

What makes Hill so special is his incredibly rare combination of speed and twitch. But he’s not just an athlete; he’s a remarkably natural football player. In his first 6 NFL seasons, Hill has managed to record a whopping 6,630 yards and 56 touchdowns in 91 games (73 starts).

The speedy wide receiver is one a historic pace and is coming off a 2021 season in which he recorded 111 receptions for 1,239 yards and 9 touchdowns in 17 games.

Immediately after the news broke on Wednesday morning, Adam Schefter reported that the Dolphins and Jets are already in serious trade talks with the Chiefs:

The asking price for perhaps the NFL’s most valuable receiver is going to be significant. Are the Steelers in any position to make a play for Tyreek Hill?

Steelers can’t afford to trade for Hill

The short answer is no, but it’s not because Hill wouldn’t improve this offense. With Ben Roethlisberger retired and with Mitch Trubisky as the only viable option to start at the quarterback position this year, Pittsburgh needs to get their priorities in line, and spending multiple high draft choices to acquire a 28-year-old receiver shouldn’t be at the top of their list.

With that draft capital, the Steelers need to attempt to find their next franchise quarterback  (unquestionably the most important position in all of football). That could happen as soon as this April as Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert have expressed high interest in players like Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett.

If the Steelers miss out on the top quarterbacks this year, they are going to need as much draft capital in their pocket as possible to perhaps enter the Byrce Young and C.J. Stroud sweepstakes in the 2023 NFL Draft.

While I would love to watch one of the fastest players in NFL history dice up opposing defenses while sporting the black and gold, the cost is going to be way too high when the Steelers are still in need of a franchise quarterback.

The Tyreek news is very interested, and I have no idea why the Chiefs wouldn’t pay him what he’s asking for. He is incredibly valuable to Patrick Mahomes and their elite offense. However, the Steelers are going to have to sit this one out.