Steelers Allegedly Used In Manipulative Move By "Lower-Level Jaguars Employee" To Spark Trevor Lawrence Trade Buzz

The Pittsburgh Steelers were recently swept into a bizarre rumor involving a potential trade for Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who had just signed a five-year, $275 million contract. The rumor, first reported by Ryan Burr, an insider for the Big 10 Network, suggested the Steelers were inquiring about sending a significant package of assets to the Jaguars in exchange for their franchise QB. However, the story was quickly debunked, with many sources confirming the Steelers had never even reached out to Jacksonville.

On Monday, Lawrence addressed the rumors during an appearance on the Up & Adams show, clarifying the situation. He confirmed that there was no truth to the trade talk and stated that he wasn’t going to Pittsburgh. He also revealed that his contract includes a no-trade clause, meaning he would have been informed about any potential deal.

Despite Lawrence's denial, questions linger about why Burr would report such a story. He surely heard something. He didn't just make it up. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio offered an intriguing theory, suggesting that someone within the Jaguars organization may not be fully sold on Lawrence and could have intentionally leaked the information to stir up trade discussions across the league. 

"As we understand it, the folks at the highest levels of the franchise remain fully committed to Lawrence," Florio wrote. "If someone from the Jaguars did indeed tell Ryan Burr of the Big 10 Network that the Steelers called about Lawrence, it was possibly someone within the organization who isn’t as committed — and who is hoping to entice someone to make ownership an offer for Lawrence that wouldn’t be refused."

This is intriguing because it suggests the Steelers were essentially used as a pawn in the situation, likely due to their uncertain future at quarterback. 

Florio also added per his sources that the Steelers never even reached out to Jacksonville about Lawrence. That was already known but Florio now verifies it.

"Bottom line? If a lower-level Jaguars employee deliberately leaked that the Steelers called about Lawrence in order to introduce the possibility of a Lawrence trade to the league at large, it worked," Florio wrote. "While it still remains highly unlikely that a Lawrence trade will happen, teams evaluating their quarterback options have reason to pick up the phone and make the call."

The situation becomes even more mysterious when you consider that the Jaguars currently don’t even have a general manager. Somehow, Burr was fed information that is now being seen as a leak. What’s especially puzzling is that the Jaguars strongly denied the claims, with Liam Coen texting Lawrence immediately to clarify the situation. The Jaguars seem fully committed to Lawrence as their franchise quarterback. 

Steelers Were Simply An Easy Target For The Jaguars' "Leaker"

This raises the question: why would anyone within the organization leak this information? According to Florio, it’s possible that not everyone in the organization is as sold on Lawrence as the front office appears to be. The leak could have been an attempt to spark conversation about a potential trade or at least get teams in similar quarterback situations to inquire. The Steelers were likely used in this scenario, as their quarterback future is still uncertain, making them an easy target for a rumor like this.

The Steelers face a crucial decision in the 2025 offseason. They were fortunate to have both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in Pittsburgh for 2024 at a great bargain, but the price for keeping either quarterback will rise in 2025. Many fans believe Fields will be the long-term option due to his lower cost, higher upside, and exciting potential. However, the organization seems divided on the matter. One thing that seems certain, though, is that Lawrence won’t be heading to the Steel City via trade anytime soon.

#SteelerNation