Aggressiveness at the NFL trade deadline lands Steelers on biggest winners list

There are far too many teams in playoff contention who were willing to let the seconds tick down on the NFL trade deadline without making a move to better their team. Not the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though Omar Khan and the front office didn't land any superstars before the deadline expired, their aggressiveness didn't go unnoticed.

Pittsburgh is cleary in 'win now' mode as they look to capitalize on a Super Bowl window. They are already being applauded for their efforts.

The morning after the 2024 NFL trade deadline passed, Judy Battista of NFL.com outlined the biggest winners and losers from the deadline. The Steelers cracked the winners list thanks to their unwillingness to be complacent at wide receiver and their surprise trade to bolster an already strong defense.

"[Pittsburgh has] been looking for a wide receiver all season -- remember Brandon Aiyuk watch? -- and finally got Mike Williams to team with George Pickens.," Battista wrote."...Their trade for pass rusher Preston Smith reinforces one of the league's best defenses, adds depth to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and, again, will help the Steelers when they face the barrage of elite quarterbacks coming up."

With hours to go before the deadline, many fans wondered if the Steelers would be able to execute a deal that would bolster their roster for the second half of the season. They succeeded.

Steelers new trade additions could play pivotal roles in 2024

While the Pittsburgh Steelers hardly pulled off the blockbuster trade of the century, they landed a pair of veteran football players who have been around this league a long time and have a proven track record.

Steelers fans were torn on the Mike Williams trade. The once 1,000-yard receiver for the Chargers was having a dismal season with quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Jets. Williams doesn't possess the burst and explosion he once did, but he still has size and body control on his side. Fans are hoping that a change of scenery will spark new life.

Regardless of whether the 30-year-old wide receiver has lost a step, Williams will instantly slot in as Pittsburgh's WR2 in an offense that features George Pickens in the passing game. Pairing another deep threat with the ability to box defenders out down the field feels like a great pairing for QB Russell Wilson.

On the defensive side of the ball, nobody expected Pittsburgh to make a move for an edge defender, and Preston Smith is just what the doctor ordered. The Steelers have struggled with injuries to their pass-rush depth and their ability to stop the run at times this year, but they just landed a player who can help with both.

Smith is as stout as they come as a run defender and he should slide into a healthy rotation that will allow T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith some much-needed breathers on the sideline. Some NFL experts already voiced that Pittsburgh now has the strongest edge rusher group in the NFL.

Both players are in their early 30s and aren't expected to be building blocks for the future. Rather, they are battle-tested veterans who are going to help this team right away. Considering the Steelers are in a window with a quarterback who turns 36 years old this month, these pieces are exactly what they need for a playoff push.