The Pittsburgh Steelers have already had an extremely intense and aggressive offseason in 2025. A ton of moves have been made that might be considered uncharacteristic for the franchise, but General Manager Omar Khan has not been shy when it comes to making deals around the league. Based on the tendencies he has shown throughout his first few years in his position, it is hard to ever say he is done roster-building. More moves could come as Pittsburgh continues to work through training camp, and one position that fans would like to see upgraded is wide receiver.
Steelers.com
Steelers' Art Rooney II and Omar Khan look on after making a draft pick.
Pittsburgh has been in this position before. The organization has a solid top wide receiver on the roster, but the fan base wants to see a splash to fill out the position group. Ahead of the 2024 season, the fan base was clamoring for Khan to make a deal with the San Francisco 49ers in order to acquire Brandon Aiyuk, but the wideout wound up signing an extension to stay with the 49ers. This time around, it is Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders that is in the headlines, especially after requesting a trade on Thursday.
The Steelers are going to be brought up when it comes to trading for a wide receiver, that's just the way things have gone over the last couple of seasons. Bill Barnwell of ESPN recently wrote about the situation in Washington, and he revealed what the price might be to acquire McLaurin via trade.
"Timed just before the season, and with the acquiring team either renting McLaurin on a one-year deal or giving him a significant extension, the Commanders would likely be looking at a third-round pick and a potential Day 3 selection if they actually did trade him," Barnwell wrote. "The Browns got a third-round pick and a swap of late selections from the Bills for a 30-year-old Amari Cooper as a rental last October, and that was during the season when teams get a little more desperate. I wouldn't be stunned if Washington were able to land a second-round pick, but a first-rounder would be truly shocking."
McLaurin has been in the middle of a contract dispute with Washington for months now, and the two sides have not seemed to make much progress. The veteran receiver was initially holding out of training camp, but he eventually reported and was holding in. Now, things have escalated as he finally requested a trade.
Rick Osentoski / ap photo
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is seen watching from the sidelines during a road matchup in the 2024 NFL season, appearing contemplative as the game unfolds without him on the field.
Pittsburgh should be one of the top teams to land him, especially after Barnwell revealed what he might be worth on the trade market. Pittsburgh is expected to have 12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, with two of those picks coming in the third round of the event. The Steelers should easily be able to fork over one of those thirds, along with a late-round selection to land McLaurin, and the organization has the cap space to get a new deal done as well.
The Steelers are also not an immediate threat to Washington. The fact that they are in the AFC makes it more likely to acquire McLaurin, as the Commanders are now contenders and do not want to wind up facing McLaurin in the postseason.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Omar Khan sits in the war room during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Steelers Should Be In The Mix
Pittsburgh will be able to submit a strong offer for McLaurin if the organization wants to. The trade value can also probably be talked down since the Steelers would need to work out a new extension for the wideout, which ultimately hurts his value for Washington. At the end of the day, the likelihood he gets a new deal from the Commanders is very high. Wide receivers request trades all the time and wind up being able to stay home while getting the deal they wanted.
What do you think the Steelers' chances are of getting McLaurin? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
