The Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver room was less than to be desired in the 2024 season. Outside of George Pickens, there wasn't really a true number two on the roster. With Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin to start the year trying to fill that role, the passing game didn't truly utilize them. General Manager Omar Khan did try at the trade deadline to fill the need, but ended up settling for veteran wide receiver Mike Williams from the New York Jets to come in and try to be as close to the 2021 version of himself as possible. None of that worked out in the favor of Pittsburgh, and now Khan will try to learn from the mistakes of the 2024 team, hopefully adding some help to that position in 2025.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson celebrates a touchdown against the Jets.
The Pat McAfee Show's Mark Kaboly talked about the Steelers' efforts in adding a receiver last year in his latest Steelers' Mailbag. He knows that Khan tried his best to find a receiver that could work well in Pittsburgh and could be looked at as a true threat in the passing game. Unfortunately for Khan and the Steelers, guys like Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams just weren't interested enough in joining Pittsburgh.
"Khan tried his a** off to acquire a receiver, but it didn't work out," said Kaboly. "They pretty much had the trade for Brandon Aiyuk done before he backed out and re-signed with the 49ers. How can you blame him for that? Davante Adams wanted to play with Aaron Rodgers. How can you blame Khan for that? They were set to get Christian Kirk, then he broke his collarbone. It was bad luck. By the time they got to the deadline, teams either didn't want to trade or the players weren't healthy. Maybe they should've did something early in free agency, but after that, it was just unfortunate circumstances."
A name Kaboly mentioned that could still become a Steeler this offseason is Christian Kirk. Kaboly seems to think that the Steelers' interest in the Jacksonville Jaguars' receiver is still there and a deal could be done before Week 1 of the 2025 season. Kirk, who is 28 years old, had his best season of his career with the Jaguars in his first season with them in 2022. He registered 84 receptions for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns in that season. While his production has dipped in his last two years with Jacksonville, he would still be a reliable number two for Pittsburgh. Not only adding Kirk, Kaboly believes the Steelers are going to give Pickens at least another year in Pittsburgh, which some believe that this could have been his last year.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin congratulates George Pickens after a huge play against the Commanders in Week 10 of the 2024 regular season.
After the season's conclusion, many are starting to speculate the future of Pickens and the Steelers heading into 2025. With the multiple antics and off-the-field issues stacking up, the rumors of the Steelers looking to move on from Pickens are becoming louder each day. Khan has made it clear that he will part ways with issues within the locker room as he sent Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers last offseason. For Kaboly, he believes that Pickens gets his last chance and hopefully some type of help opposite of him and maybe that can cure some of the issues that fans are seeing in Pickens.
Steelers' 2025 Offseason Must Fix Massive Problems To Prevent Another Early Postseason Ending
The Steelers' last few seasons have continued to end in disappointment. Many fans had hoped with a brand new quarterback room and offensive coordinator, that their offensive woes would have been solved. Unfortunately, as the 2024 season progressed, the unit regressed. Khan and Mike Tomlin have a big offseason ahead of them to prevent another failed season.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (left) smiles in the distance as long-time front office member Omar Khan watches a team practice.
With decisions at the quarterback position being their top priority, the wide receiver room is most likely number two on their list. The Steelers need their offense to perform better, especially late into the year if they have hopes to get past the first round of the playoffs again. If they can't find the solution in the offseason, drastic changes could be made in 2026.
Would you like to see a Pickens-Kirk combo in 2025? Do you think Pickens deserves one more chance? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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