Why Jordan Addison to the Steelers is a good idea

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett recently praised the thought of wide receiver Jordan Addison joining him in Pittsburgh—and I couldn’t agree more.

In a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett said he hopes that his former University of Pittsburgh teammate, wide receiver Jordan Addison, ends up on the Steelers with him.

A statement like that should not come as much of a surprise, as most quarterbacks would love to reunite in the NFL with their go-to college targets. However, this is a move that I feel the Steelers should actually try to pull off for a few reasons.

For starters, one of Pittsburgh’s top priorities should be to keep what it sees as a franchise QB happy, and what other way to do that than give him the man that deserves much credit for his collegiate dominance? That sounds like it would be a great move to further establish the offense’s still-developing chemistry.

Speaking of which, that brings us to the second reason: the Steelers have made moves like this before.

Just looking at how Pittsburgh has selected its talent over the past five years or so, we can clearly see a drive to obtain players that have at least some connection with those that are already on the roster. One example of this practice would be the organization drafting Oklahoma State products Mason Rudolph and James Washington, but this is actually even more of a trend when it comes to acquiring siblings.

Think about it: the Steelers don’t just have T.J. Watt, they also have Derek Watt. They don’t just have Cameron Heyward, they also have Connor Heyward. While they only have Terrell Edmunds now, they had Trey Edmunds alongside him at one point.

If this franchise will repeatedly make a point of building a family-like environment to such a strong—and, in multiple cases, literal—degree, reuniting Pickett and Addison is certainly something it should be willing to at least take a crack at.

The wide receiver position is a Steelers specialty anyway

Another promising sign is Pittsburgh’s consistent ability to identify and develop wide receivers, and in a rather short time. In the last 10 to 12 years alone, we have seen this happen on several occasions with names including Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and, most recently, George Pickens.

All of those players established themselves as reliable targets in spite of having little professional experience at the time, and they didn’t have a familiar passer that added a layer of comfort—Addison would.

And since we’ve brought the discussion back to Addison, let’s tie a bow on all of this by looking at things from his perspective.

Simply put, what is one thing about the Steelers that Addison wouldn’t find appealing? They have a young offense with an identity that is still solidifying, meaning that it would only be easier for him to find his place in the operation. Not only that, but they finished their season on a note strong enough to foreshadow a bright future.

Those kinds of characteristics would look attractive to any player joining any team, but when you throw in the history that Addison has with both the starting QB and the location, how could he not want an opportunity like that?

Now some mock drafts have Addison going before the 17th pick, so there’s no guarantee that the Steelers can get on the clock while he’s still on the board. But if they can, why not take him? And even if they can’t, why not propose a trade for him?

Depending on what/who said trade would involve, that could be a very questionable call to make. However, it’s a call that nonetheless reeks of Pittsburgh and its culture. So, if the Steelers can find any, and I mean any, sensible shot at landing Addison, I feel they should waste no time making it happen.