The Pittsburgh Steelers could fill a major need by the NFL trade deadline.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost two games in a row to fall to 4-3 on the season, and while they are still sitting atop the AFC North, things are getting a bit dicey in Steel City.
It's clear that the Steelers have needs on both sides of the ball, and while it will be difficult to address all of them before the NFL trade deadline, they will almost surely at least make one move.
Mike DeFabo of The Athletic sees Pittsburgh swinging a trade for a wide receiver, which seems like an obvious solution given that the Steelers have virtually no depth behind D.K. Metcalf.
"From the moment the Steelers dealt George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, their wide receiver depth has been in question," DeFabo wrote. "... Still, if the Steelers want to give Aaron Rodgers the best chance to make a run in what could be his final season, adding a more experienced receiver would be a prudent move. Given GM Omar Khan’s aggressive reputation, I’d expect him to make some type of move here."
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images.The Steelers already swung a deal to acquire Metcalf during the offseason, sending a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for him. Not having that second-round pick will obviously hinder Pittsburgh in trade talks, but there should be a solution somewhere.
Maybe the Steelers won't be able to swing a blockbuster deal for someone like Chris Olave or Jaylen Waddle, but receivers like Jakobi Meyers and Rashid Shaheed are certainly possibilities.
At this point, Pittsburgh just needs an upgrade at the No. 2 receiver slot. Calvin Austin III — who missed a good chunk of the campaign with a shoulder injury — isn't cutting it as a secondary option, and while Roman Wilson finally had a breakout game last week, he can't be trusted.
Rodgers is actually playing impressive football this season, having thrown 16 touchdown passes while owning a 104.4 passer rating. And that's with the Steelers providing him with very limited options. If Pittsburgh can get him another receiver, it would pay massive dividends.
Of course, the Steelers also have big problems on the defensive side, as they rank 30th in the NFL in defense and have surrendered over 30 points in back-to-back games.
We'll see if Pittsburgh is somehow able to address both holes before next Tuesday, which will be understandably challenging.