Every year, we have high hopes for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the NFL trade deadline, and every year, a bulk of the fanbase comes away disappointed. Mike McCarthy's team is 6-2 at the halfway point of the season, and they had their bye week to strategize on how to improve their roster at the deadline.
However, the deadline passed, and we didn't hear as much as a whisper about a move in the works for Pittsburgh. Now, Omar Khan has some explaining to do to the fanbase, as the powerhouse teams in the AFC—the Jaguars, Bills, Broncos, and Chiefs—each bolstered their rosters with trade moves.
The Steelers' complacency at the deadline isn't all bad. Khan was able to hang on to valuable draft capital after a solid track record in April. But only a few Steelers benefited from the team's decision to stand pat, while four members of the organization are losers because of the front office's complacency.
Biggest winners and losers from the Steelers' complacency at the NFL trade deadline
Winner: Germie Bernard
If the Steelers were going to make a move at the deadline, it always felt like it was going to be for a wide receiver. While most fans would love to see DK Metcalf in a reduced role after how he's played this season, he wouldn't have been the player taking a backseat.
That would have been rookie Germie Bernard.
The Alabama product has been impressive and really started to pick up his game over the past month before the Steelers' bye week. Adding a capable veteran receiver via trade (like Josh Downs) to the mix would have only been a setback to his career trajectory, as he undoubtedly would have seen a reduced role. Bernard benefits from the team's decision to stand pat.
Winner: Asante Samuel Jr.
Asante Samuel Jr. has plenty of name recognition, but his starting role was hardly secure before the NFL trade deadline. Both media outlets and fans toyed with the idea of trading for a player like the Eagles' Riq Woolen or a veteran to play the boundary opposite Jamel Dean.
Samuel has played better in recent weeks, but if you recall, he was benched halfway through the Bengals game back in Week 4 after getting picked on by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (who doesn't, after all).
Samuel can take comfort in knowing that the only player who is going to push him for playing time, at this point, is 22-year-old rookie Daylen Everette. His starting role is otherwise safe for the rest of the way.
Winner: Michael Pittman Jr.
Arguably the biggest winner from the lack of a trade from the Steelers at the deadline is Michael Pittman Jr. The wide receiver position was at the forefront, and adding one more quality option in the passing game may have been enough to bury Pittman on the depth chart.
Pittman, who was acquired via trade from the Colts during the 2026 offseason, is already likely looking at the WR3 role, at best, when he returns, thanks to the emergence of Bernard. When Roman Wilson comes back, he could move down even further.
Had the Steelers traded for a starting-caliber receiver, Pittman would have become expendable. But as it stands, he could still have a rotational role in the passing game when he returns to the field.
Loser: Aaron Rodgers
Now for the losers. Aaron Rodgers has struggled to find a go-to target this season, so even getting him a Josh Downs-level player may have been enough to appease the nearly 43-year-old quarterback and give him someone who can beat man coverage.
Instead, Rodgers will be forced to do much of the same in the second half of 2026, which is expected to be his final ride in the NFL. He'll have to hope that Metcalf can turn things around while praying that Bernard continues to grow and develop.
When compared to the league, the Steelers' wide receiver room is well below average, so it hurts knowing the passing game may be capped in a critical final year with Rodgers.
Loser: Mike McCarthy
Head coach Mike McCarthy has made a few awesome coaching hires, but he's the guy who calls the offensive plays. While the running game has been working wonders, the passing offense leaves a lot to be desired. And some of its shortcomings fall back on McCarthy.
Unfortunately, there's only so much McCarthy can control when he doesn't have the personnel. Rodgers lacks mobility and wants to get the ball out of his hands fast, while the receivers can neither get open nor catch the ball consistently.
Adding another weapon in the passing game at the trade deadline would have allowed more creativity and flexibility for McCarthy's offense.
Loser: Patrick Graham
Patrick Graham and 'loser' hardly belong in the same sentence after doing wonders for the Steelers' defense since taking over as the new defensive coordinator this year. Still, Khan had a chance to get him a bit more to work with in the secondary.
The Steelers have a few aging players in the back end of their defense and could have used another chip. A cornerback who can play man coverage alongside Jamel Dean would have helped, as would a safety whom the team could trust in coverage. Graham wasn't given any help here.
Loser: Omar Khan
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Omar Khan as a loser at the NFL trade deadline. Khan has tried and failed to add significant roster talent at the deadline for several years in a row now. Some fans even jokingly expected him to make the next Mike Williams-level move (which doesn't move the needle at all).
I'm a bigger fan of holding onto draft picks than most, but the AFC has never been quite so wide open. The number one seed is still up for grabs. Contending teams like the Bills and Bengals have awful defenses this year, while the Broncos are worse at passing the football than the Steelers.
It's one thing to stand pat at the trade deadline, but when four of the five biggest competitors in the conference made aggressive moves to bolster their rosters, you almost have to do something to keep up. Khan did not.
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