Examining every Steelers trade deadline move of the Mike Tomlin era

The NFL trade deadline is coming up right around the corner. As is usually the case, fans are expecting them to land every big name available to fill out their roster. While I wouldn’t be surprised to see a trade materialize, this team is usually reserved around the deadline. Simply put, they don’t want to try and add core pieces this late in the process, as those types of deals rarely work out.

With that in mind, I did a little research to see just what the history has been of the Steelers making a trade during the regular season under Mike Tomlin. On a smaller list, I will note that most of these moves have happened in the past five or so seasons. At a minimum, Pittsburgh has shown more of a willingness to make in-season trades recently, which bodes well for those hoping that a new name is added.

While even less likely than trading someone away, there are some fans speculating that the team could ship someone away for draft picks. My guess if that were to happen would be Pickens, and it would likely come on the heels of adding a different receiver. I don’t expect that to happen, but for the sake of this study, let's first look at the players that the Steelers traded away during the season.

Players Steelers traded away

Josh Dobbs, QB (2019)

Everyone’s favorite backup quarterback, Josh Dobbs was quickly displaced in the Steelers quarterback room as the team added Mason Rudolph just a year later in the draft. By the time 2019 rolled around, he was clearly the third quarterback in the room and was likely biding his time until he was a free agent. The Jaguars offered a fifth-round pick for him, which the team wisely accepted.

This ended up being the season that Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the year with his elbow injury, which occurred a week after the trade. That said, I don’t think Dobbs would have made much of a difference over Rudolph and the eventual rise of Devlin Hodges.

Dobbs has since bounced around the league (including a second stint with the Steelers) and has carved out a solid career as a backup to this point. All said, this trade was mostly inconsequential, and Pittsburgh ended up trading away the pick they got for him.

Melvin Ingram, EDGE (2021)

This was less of the case of the Steelers wanting to get rid of a player and more of the player wanting out. Melvin Ingram was a great rotational defender who allowed the starters some time to rest. Unfortunately, it seems like the team had promised him a bigger role on the defense when they signed him, causing him to want out for a sixth-round pick.

Thankfully, the Steelers didn’t end up needing him for the remainder of the season, and since then they have built up the depth in their edge room. Ingram remained relevant with the Chiefs and had a few more productive years in Miami. The team decided that they didn’t need a disgruntled player and got what they could for him.

Chase Claypool, WR (2022)

In what has gone down as one of the most lopsided trades in recent years, the Steelers dealt Chase Claypool to the Bears for a second-round pick. While not a cancer to the team, Claypool had some maturity issues and was being phased out of the offense. The Bears overpaid, as that second-round pick ended up becoming the 32nd overall pick in the draft for a player that failed to amount to anything with Chicago.

I don’t believe the team was deadest on trading Claypool before the deadline. It seemed like a similar deal to what happened with Martavius Bryant a few years ago, where the team in question kept bidding against themselves until Pittsburgh couldn’t say no.

In terms of this season, I doubt that anyone gets dealt. Unless a team were to offer an extraordinary deal for Pickens, there isn’t anyone of notable value that the team would want to part ways with. They are peculiar with who they trade away during the season, and I can’t see that changing this year.

Players Steelers traded for

Levi Brown, OT (2013)

A fun blast from the past and the first deadline trade of Tomlin’s tenure, Levi Brown is certainly a forgettable name. He was a bust of a first-round pick with the Cardinals, so much so that the Steelers traded a conditional late-round pick for him. That pick was never moved though, as Brown went to IR shortly after coming to Pittsburgh and was cut the following offseason.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (2019)

After the lack of return on Brown, the Steelers waited six years before completing another in-season trade. This time though, it was a big one. Minkah Fitzpatrick was in a bad spot in Miami, and the Dolphins agreed to move on from him. Pittsburgh capitalized but paid a hefty price with a pair of pick swaps and a first-round pick being the cost.

It was an expensive move, but one that paid off. Fitzpatrick has gone on to become one of the best safeties in the league year after year. It saved the team that year, as his ability to create turnovers kept the team alive despite having bad quarterback play. He has since gone on to become one of the best defenders on this team next to T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward.

Nick Vannett, TE (2019)

A few days after the Steelers acquired Fitzpatrick, they turned around and traded for Nick Vannett to fill in and help at tight end. In return, the Seahawks got a fifth-round pick. This was a curious trade on paper. While tight end help was needed, Vannett was never a great option in Seattle, and he was entering the last year of his rookie deal, so this seemed like an overpay.

That turned out the be just the case, as Vannett didn’t contribute much during his time with the Steelers. In the offseason, he signed with the Broncos, signaling a quick end to his time in Pittsburgh. While a fifth-round pick isn’t the end of the world, this seemed like a low-risk, low-reward deal that just never made much sense.

Avery Williamson, LB (2020)

The Steelers long-winded need at linebacker seemed to have been partially filled when they traded for Avery Williamson in 2020. The Jets were a wreck and had no need for him, and he seemed more than happy to go. It looked like the team got a capable defender and a seventh-round pick for just a fifth-round pick.

The results weren’t as good. Williamson never really became an impact defender for this defense, and it took him a while to even see the field regularly. There were higher hopes for this deal, but it never materialized. Worth noting that both Vannett and Williamson took a while to get regular snaps. I would expect anyone acquired this year to have a similar story.

William Jackson, CB (2022)

In the same year that the Steelers traded away Claypool, they also acquired William Jackson from the Commanders at the deadline for a conditional swap of late picks. Those conditions were never met, as Jackson failed to play a game and went on injured reserve shortly after the trade was finalized.

So what can we take away from this? When it comes to trades during the season, the Steelers stay reserved. When bringing someone in, it is usually for a late pick and, based on the trends, the player doesn’t amount to much. When trading a player away, they typically only accept deals when they get an offer too good to refuse. I wouldn’t expect any major moves this year, and keep your expectations down if a player is added.