We thought Pittsburgh's wide receiver situation was going to be rough in 2024, but Steelers fans had no idea it would be this bad. While George Pickens looks like a bonafide WR1 in the NFL, the rest of the group hardly looks deserving of roster spots early in the season.
Though the first two games of 2024, Pickens has exploded for big plays down the field. Unfortunately, roughly one-third of his production was nullified by a pair of penalties (a bogus offensive pass interference call in Week 1 and a Broderick Jones holding call in Week 2).
Even with big plays being wiped away, Pickens is the only receiver on the Steelers making any sort of impact. The talented Georgia product has 114 receiving yards through two games, while the next most productive wide-out on the team hasn't even topped 15 yards.
Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III are the only other receivers on the team who have caught a pass through two games, and Pittsburgh's WR2 and WR3 have combined for a mere 28 yards (14 yards per game).
#Steelers yards by wide receivers entering Week 3:
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) September 18, 2024
George Pickens - 114 yards
Van Jefferson - 15 yards
Calvin Austin III - 13 yards
That's the end of the list.
It's hard to sustain success in the passing game when you don't have a capable wide receiver opposite Pickens. This is the reason Steelers GM Omar Khan pushed so diligently to trade for a receiver before the season.
Unfortunately, their deal on the table for Brandon Aiyuk fell through and they were left with arguably the worst receiver depth in the league.
Roman Wilson's presence could help, but the rookie third-round pick out of Michigan is going to be far behind the learning curve when he returns. Wilson injured his ankle during the Steelers' first padded practice at training camp. He missed the entire preseason and Pittsburgh's first two games in the regular season.
Trading for a wide receiver could salvage the season and reshape Justin Fields' career as a quarterback. One potential trade candidate makes perfect sense.
Steelers should acquire about a trade for Packers WR Christian Watson
The Green Bay Packers offense caught fire late in the 2023 season and into the playoffs, and parting with a wide receiver on a rookie contract may not be something they are willing to do. Still, their situation suggests they could stomach the loss of Christian Watson without their offense skipping a beat.
Through the first two games of the season, Watson has combined for just 13 receiving yards and has hardly been used in the passing game. Meanwhile, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed have combined for 259 yards entering Week 3, while Dontayvion Wicks and tight end Tucker Kraft have combined for 12 targets and 79 yards.
Here me out... The Packers are five deep at WR with two tight ends who can catch the ball.
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) September 19, 2024
Christian Watson has 13 yards through 2 games.
Green Bay may not be willing to part with him, but if I'm the Steelers, I'm asking if Watson is available via trade.
Quite frankly, Watson has become an afterthought in Green Bay's offense. While dealing with injuries in 2023, Watson's production dipped from his rookie season and he caught just 52.8 percent of passes thrown his way last year.
Part of the reason for his lack of production has to do with how much quarterback Jordan Love enjoys spreading the football around. Because the Packers are five deep at wide receiver with two pass-catching tight ends (Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave), they may be willing to trade Watson to the Steelers.
In exchange for Watson's services, future draft capital is always an inciting option, but the Packers may want a player who can help them win now. Early in the season, Green Bay's defensive line has been in shambles, and their secondary hasn't been much better. They are surrendering a whopping 398.5 yards per game, per ESPN stats.
Pairing a future mid-round draft choice with a rotational interior defender or defensive back could be enough to seal the deal.
For the Steelers, Watson would instantly slide in as their 'Z' receiver and the clear-cut WR2 on their team -- taking the place of the underwhelming Van Jefferson. With his 6'4, 208-pound frame, Watson could be an added big body for Arthur Smith's offense and a threat to stretch the field vertically -- giving Justin Fields another option to turn to.
It's hard to know what exactly the Packers have in store for Christian Watson, but he hasn't been utilized since before his injuries last year. A trade for both parties could make sense.