Steelers Likely A Turn Off For Potential Free Agent Receivers: "I Can't Imagine Them Wanting To Be Here"

The Pittsburgh Steelers desperately need to figure out their wide receiver room before the start of the 2025 season. They still have George Pickens, but his situation is also in a state of flux. After his antics seemed to increase over the 2024 campaign, it became unlikely that the team would offer him an extension as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. Fans often suggest that the Steelers should sign a veteran receiver to partner with Pickens, hoping that it will provide him with a mentor who will help him learn to manage his behavior. 

However, some insiders feel that Pickens is not manageable in that way. Regardless of whether the Steelers decide to let Pickens play out this season or if they trade him away, they still need to find someone else to add to the roster. The lack of a strong second wide receiver option in 2024 had a massive impact on the offense's ability to move the ball and score consistently.  

Steelers fans spent all of the 2024 offseason speculating about which receiver the team could either trade for or sign. Now, they are right back there again, and there are lots of the same names coming back up, including Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp. Insider Brian Batko, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was asked in his recent chat column which of the three potential available receivers in Kupp, Adams, Christian Kirk, and Darius Slayton, he prefers. Batko said that Pittsburgh might not be a desirable location for pass catchers right now.

"Darius Slayton strikes me as the best value among those four," wrote Batko. "Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp, I can't imagine them wanting to be here. Christian Kirk doesn't move me whatsoever."

This isn't the first time it has been suggested that a strong veteran free agent will not want to come to the Steel City. Pittsburgh has often been considered a draw for its legacy as one of the most storied franchises in the league, and it is also a draw because of Head Coach Mike Tomlin, who is widely respected. However, that legacy combined with Tomlin may not be enough anymore. Batko has suggested previously these players want to win a Super Bowl as the end of their careers draws close. 

In the case of Kupp, his best scenario might be to stay with the Los Angeles Rams, who recently re-signed quarterback Matthew Stafford. The same seemed true of Adams, who went to the New York Jets to play for his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, in 2024. The Jets are expected to release Adams however, since they also chose to move on from Rodgers. 

The Steelers reportedly all but had a deal done with Kirk last season right before the trade deadline. His unfortunate injury stopped that trade in its tracks, but some think they might pick back up where they left off. 

Steelers' Other Receiving Options

Batko said he was most interested in Slayton, who was a fifth-round pick by the New York Giants in 2019 and is set to be a free agent this offseason. While he might strike Batko as the best value, others question just how much he will help move the offense forward in 2025. 

Slayton's role with the Giants leaves the question of just what the Steelers would have to give up for him and pay him. Recently, Deebo Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round pick. While that has been praised on social media as a great deal, others point out the $18 million salary the Commanders took on. That amount seems like a lot. The other question is if Slayton moves the needle on the offense enough, when coupled with Pickens, to make any potential deal worthwhile. 

Do you agree that neither Kupp nor Adams would want to come to Pittsburgh? Tell us what you think below! 

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