Steelers at a Crossroads: Should Pittsburgh buy or sell before trade deadline?

Making the case for Steelers to buy at the trade deadline

There's more than enough reason to make the case for the Pittsburgh Steelers to be buyers ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Perhaps the biggest reason is that they currently sit on a 3-2 record and are in first place in the AFC North.

If this isn't enough, it's worth noting that this team is fresh off their bye week where they had a chance to go back to the drawing board and reassess. Diontae Johnson will be returning for their next game against the Rams after landing on IR with a hamstring injury that he sustained back in Week 1. Soon, Cameron Heyward will rejoin the team as well.

These two players could give them a notable spark, and adding another talented player or two before the trade deadline could be just what the doctor ordered. If the season ended today, Pittsburgh would be hosting a playoff game.

The problem is that Pittsburgh still doesn't have a strong enough roster or enough firepower to make a legitimate playoff push. We have seen in the past how much of a difference it can make to add one Pro Bowl-level talent to the team, and there are plenty of one-win teams who will be looking to sell at the deadline. With a young, growing team and the right trade piece in place, perhaps Pittsburgh can go further than anyone expects them to go in 2023.