The theme of the past several months for the Pittsburgh Steelers has supposedly been to go all-in on Aaron Rodgers for 2025. After all, this is going to be his last season in the NFL, so the Steelers really only have one shot.
With the trade deadline coming up on November 4, there are many speculating over whether or not the Steelers will try and make a move to help not only Rodgers, but this team overall. We can argue defense or offense (or both), but there's been a pretty polarizing deal that was proposed over at Bleacher Report.
It has the Steelers going out and trading for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in exchange for a first-round pick and a defensive player. In this case, we'll use linebacker Cole Holcomb as said player.
Brian Thomas Jr.'s fresh start with the Steelers could be exactly what Aaron Rodgers needs
So far this season, the Jaguars have seen Thomas struggle with drops as he hasn't been as big a part of their offense as many suspected he'd be. Last year, with Mac Jones starting in place of an injured Trevor Lawrence, Thomas excelled.
Many figured that, once Lawrence was back as the full-time starter, Thomas would be right back to being the top-tier wide receiver he was in 2024. That hasn't been the case.
With the Steelers, Thomas would pair nicely opposite DK Metcalf as another downfield threat with an ability to succeed at different levels of the field as well. Having a quarterback like Rodgers would certainly help. That's not saying Rodgers is what he once was, but he is sure motivated in his last season. That's no secret.
Metcalf has already seen the uptick in production, at times, with Rodgers under center. Imagine if the Steelers saw Thomas quickly revert to what he was just a short while ago, giving Rodgers two high-caliber wideouts to go with the tight end group he so often targets as well.
Holcomb, meanwhile, wouldn't be too great a loss. The Steelers have a lot of names in that room as it is, and he is a free agent after this year anyway.
The second-round pick is rich. However, the Steelers would be banking on Thomas being the first-round talent he should still be capable of being. If he panned out, this would be a massive win for Pittsburgh and potentially a move that could put them near the top of AFC contenders.