Mike Tomlin made it clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers could be buyers at the NFL trade deadline. After trading for defensive back Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots, Tomlin and the front office may have their sights set on the wide receiver position.
For the past two years at the NFL trade deadline, the Steelers have been rumored to be interested in adding a wide receiver. But their patchwork efforts have always fallen short.
Two years ago, the Steelers traded for Allen Robinson II before the season, believing that the aging receiver would be the answer to their WR2 problems. Last year, they rolled the dice on New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams at the trade deadline. Neither wide receiver trade acquisition over the past two seasons made a lick of difference... and this year might be no different.
Of all the options that appear to be on the table just days ahead of the deadline, none are needle-moving wide receivers—the types of players who could change the dynamic of the offense. Their best bet might be going with a player like the Las Vegas Raiders' Jakobi Meyers. The seven-year veteran is a well-rounded receiver with size and a full route tree that could be a nice complement to DK Metcalf's skill set.
But is it worth mortgaging valuable draft capital for the Steelers to land what they hope is an upgrade at the wide receiver position?
If the Pittsburgh Steelers make a trade before the deadline, it should not be for a wide receiver
While all the buzz seems to be about trading for a wide receiver, I would question why. The offense is hardly the issue with this team ahead of the NFL trade deadline; it's the defense that's in shambles right now.
Meanwhile, Roman Wilson is coming off the best game of his career against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. When finally given an opportunity, the Steelers' 2024 third-round pick found a way to shine. When you put on the all-22 film, you can see Wilson create separation with ease. The personnel doesn't seem to be a huge issue at the position.
But even if the Steelers choose not to trust Wilson and go out and get a receiver at the trade deadline, it hardly means that the player they trade for is going to be used often.
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Arthur Smith runs the heaviest personnel packages in the NFL this year—rolling out 13 personnel more than any team in the league. With Smith's love for tight ends, there hasn't been much room for wide receiver production outside of Metcalf.
Even a player we once called a 'weapon' like Pat Freiermuth can barely get involved on offense, and the former second-round pick has just 200 yards entering Week 9 (and more than half of those came all in one game).
If the Steelers added a player like Meyers, we can rest assured that he'd only garner the standard 3-5 targets per game. And is a mid-level trade acquisition really going to do much more with the limited opportunities than what Roman Wilson has?
At the end of the day, it hardly makes sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers to mortgage 2026 draft capital to land a wide receiver that won't move the needle. If this team trades for any position at the deadline, it should come on the defensive side of the football.