What an absolutely chaotic scene in the NFL on Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Steelers did their best to contribute to headlines, but all of the attention was on a couple of big name wide receivers.
First and foremost, why were the Steelers in headlines?
Head coach Mike Tomlin said that Russell Wilson would take first-team quarterback reps this week, leading many to believe he could wind up starting in Week 7, on Sunday Night Football, against the New York Jets. For one, that news caused many mixed emotions from the fan base.
But that wasn't the biggest news of the day. Oh no ... far from it.
Tuesday morning, the New York Jets made headlines when they completed a blockbuster trade, acquiring wide receiver Davante Adams. Yes, the Steelers were indeed in on an Adams trade. But, in the end, Pittsburgh missed out on another one.
There were still some decent names available on the trade block after the Adams news, though, right? Obviously, the big one is Amari Cooper. But, would the Cleveland Browns really entertain a trade within the division?
Of course they wouldn't, which is why they dealt him to the Buffalo Bills just hours after the Adams news.
Now, the Steelers are really going to be grasping at straws. This officially puts the team into desperation mode. They need wide receiver help, but the top two options are off the table.
The Steelers cannot land a true difference-maker at wide receiver before the trade deadline
Adams or Cooper would have given the Steelers a legitimate no. 1 option in the passing game, but now? That type of option doesn't exist.
The names left include players like DeAndre Hopkins, Darius Slayton and now Mike Williams after being pushed down the depth chart from the Adams trade.
More Steelers news:
It would have been worth checking in with the Chicago Bears on Keenan Allen's potential availability with the Chicago Bears had he not just enjoyed a breakout game, scoring two touchdowns after being pretty invisible over the first five weeks.
Could Pittsburgh reach out about potentially going hard after Tee Higgins? He's playing on the franchise tag, but the Bengals would be silly to trade him within the division. That isn't happpening.
How about going after a project and former first-round pick like Treylon Burks of the Tennessee Titans?
No, not all that appealing ... understandable.
There aren't many other options out there, right now, which would make a huge difference for this team. George Pickens will likely still be the most talented wide receiver on this team after the Nov. 5 deadline.
Maybe the Steelers have to get creative in their pursuit of a wide receiver and pull something off that's currently unforeseen. In any event, this team still needs major help at the position, and the options have dried up in a hurry.