Steelers Keeping A Close Eye As Injury To Big Deadline Target Could Affect Possible Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a great position, not just in the AFC North division, but in the conference as a whole. Injuries are running rampant everywhere, but Mike Tomlin's team has been able to stay afloat, which has led to a record of 4-1. The organization has a tough schedule the rest of the way, so it was always going to be looked at as important to have a good start to the season. One individual that needs to get back on the field sooner than later is Calvin Austin III, as Roman Wilson was pretty irrelevant in Week 6 with Austin sidelined.

Despite the fact that Austin is not on Injured Reserve (IR), the Steelers could opt to look into trade targets as the early-November deadline nears. It's evident now more than ever that the AFC is wide open, and General Manager Omar Khan could certainly see it as necessary to try and acquire another playmaker who can make weekly contributions for the offensive unit.

One franchise that is almost certain to begin some kind of big-time sale is the Tennessee Titans. General Manager Mike Borgonzi and the other decision-makers fired Head Coach Brian Callahan and, with a record of 1-5, it's pretty clear that the organization isn't going to compete throughout the rest of the 2025 campaign. Stocking up draft selections could be the best course of action.

A very attractive name to keep an eye on is Calvin Ridley. The speedster hasn't played his best as a member of the Titans, but has gotten the short end of the stick. Unfortunately for Tennessee, if the plan is to shop the wideout, that could be delayed due to a Week 6 injury.

Hamstring injuries, especially for wide receivers, are never a good thing. For any team across the NFL to trade for Ridley, his health would have to be top-notch. These kind of ailments can last weeks, so there is no guarantee that he will be 100% and ready to go by early November. Franchises that may be looking for wide receiver help like the Steelers may be a little cautious when reaching out to Borgonzi.

Ridley may not be at the very top of a list potentially being curated by Khan and co. currently, but it's hard to imagine that he wouldn't be a nice upgrade to Pittsburgh's current receiving corps. DK Metcalf has been phenomenal in recent games; however, the offense may be one more dynamic individual away from pairing a scary offense with a rising defense.

Time will tell what the Steelers try to do, but it has already been reported that the interest is there when it comes to the wide receiver position. Pittsburgh's front office could smell blood in the water after a strong start and weakened AFC North. Making one more big move to solidify the organization as the favorite in the division, as well as maybe one of the top contenders in the conference, will have to be considered as the trade deadline inches closer.

Ridley does have a hefty two years left on the four-year deal he signed with Tennessee in 2024, but Khan is known for being a wizard with cap space, and some kind of restructure is also always possible.

Steelers Have To Seize Opportunity Of Playing In The Weird AFC

Not many individuals would have had the Steelers as the number two seed entering Week 7 of the 2025 season, and even less of those people would have had the Indianapolis Colts as the first. It is completely wide open and Pittsburgh could be in the market to make a splash at, or around, the deadline. One more wide receiving threat could ultimately be the difference come January, and Ridley may be in that conversation depending on his health in the coming weeks.

Do you think that the Steelers would be a good fit for Ridley? Let us know in the comments below!

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