Most Pittsburgh Steelers fans expect the team to do something ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline. Since the team has already made a move in the secondary by trading for Kyle Dugger, fans are really waiting for the team to announce a trade for a wide receiver.
Still, the defensive issues of this team run deep, and ahead of the deadline is when everyone starts coming up with the craziest ideas to solve a team’s problems. And since the Steelers’ defense was sold as historic by the team but has since proven to be historically bad, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Why not pursue one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL to bolster a front seven that isn’t playing to the standard it sets for itself?
The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t fix this defense without taking a real swing
Bleacher Report’s trade block big board had a new name pop up on it recently: New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. They included Williams after NFL Insider Diana Rusini suggested teams have been calling to inquire about his availability.
"Keep an eye on the Jets," she wrote. "Teams have been showing interest in DT Quinnen Williams, although New York's asking price is massive."
Bleacher Report mentioned the Detroit Lions and the Steelers as potential fits.
Of course, Williams is a fit in Pittsburgh’s defense. He’s versatile enough to play along the interior defense. He’d certainly give a boost to the interior pass rush, which has been lacking, and shore up the interior run defense, which has been more than inconsistent this season.
Still, Williams is one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, and as Russini pointed out, his price tag does not come cheap. He likely draws a first-round pick and more in value, which doesn’t exactly mesh with the Steelers’ future plans.
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Maybe the Steelers can throw in Darius Slay or sweeten the deal in other ways if they are one of the teams making a push for Williams. It’d be a bold move, though not overly risky if Pittsburgh’s front office can get the pricing right. And they don’t call general manager Omar Khan the Khan Artist for nothing.
Ultimately, I don't think this is a move Pittsburgh will be willing to make. Williams is expensive, both in his contract and in what he demands in return value for a trade. Khan doesn't want to move early assets in next year's draft, and he lacks bargaining chips on the roster to sweeten the deal for New York.
Still, if Khan were to sell the farm, improving the defense with a younger veteran (Williams is just 27) is the right play. The defense that was constructed for this season is much too long in the tooth and has become the overwhelming issue of the roster rather than a second wide receiver. Williams would help to solve those issues, but he's assuredly too expensive an investment for the Steelers, even with Khan at his most aggressive.