Heading into the trade deadline last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers held a respectable 5–3 record. Their latest setback of the season proved that the decision to avoid significant trades was the right one. General Manager Omar Khan made no additions before the trade deadline passed, other than acquiring Kyle Dugger.
The early reports on his lack of moves were negative, but this past weekend might've shown he made the right call.
It was a tough matchup for the Steelers against the Los Angeles Chargers. The offense couldn’t find any rhythm, and the defense began to show weaknesses as the game went on. They are an average team that didn't show as much promise as the club did around this time last season.
Comparing the teams isn't fair, but one had a 6-2 record last year before the trade deadline, while this time around, they sat at 5-3.
Not much different, but the team last time around showed they can win the games they are meant to, and they deserved investment before the deadline. The Steelers of 2025 failed to earn that respect from Khan, and he wasn't willing to mortgage the future to land some rentals. If the Mike Tomlin-led team showed they could compete for a playoff victory, Khan would've sold assets.
Pittsburgh Steelers show it was wise to sit on their hands during the trade deadline
This franchise is in no position to compete for a playoff win, let alone a Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers appears to be regressing in recent weeks, which has led to a significant drop off on offense. They fail to run the ball more despite effective outcomes with Jaylen Warren leading the way. Rodgers is throwing the ball too much, and it's starting to show cracks in their schematics.
There are plenty of holes across this roster that could result in disaster. They have players they must roll with for the remainder of the season, unless they sign a free agent. Pittsburgh might've been disappointed in the lack of trades by Khan, but they shouldn't be. The franchise could finally be signaling that they are envisioning a future rather than focusing on the present.
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Moving away picks for the likes of Jakobi Meyers, Rashid Shaheed, or someone else would've improved the team. Tomlin likely wanted to make additions before the trade deadline, but Khan opted against certain moves. He understands that the 2026 NFL Draft is crucial to the Steelers’ long-term success and didn’t want to jeopardize that.
It could be one of his best moves if these trends persist.
Acquiring talent before the trade deadline might've fixed some issues this season, but this team isn't ready to compete. They are no better than they were last year. In fact, they could be worse. If Rodgers stumbles off a cliff, they have no offense to speak of without a reliable rushing attack. No trades should be created for a more exciting draft after another non-losing season under Tomlin.