Strong Feeling Inside Steelers' Building That Pittsburgh Will Be Making A Splash Before Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in talks to acquire a wide receiver for years. The organization saw some turnover at the position during the 2025 offseason as General Manager Omar Khan acquired DK Metcalf via trade, and then decided to part ways with George Pickens. Many feel the Steelers still need to add to the wide receiver room. Metcalf has been good, but the organization needs another top wide receiver option to go behind, or even replace him if the veteran wideout goes down with an injury. Guys like Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson have potential, but neither can fit Metcalf's role.

Austin has been a good wide receiver for the Steelers that has improved in every season he has been in the league, but the Steelers are still waiting to see what they have with Wilson. He has not seen many opportunities, but he did have the best game of his young career in Week 7 as he hauled in two passes. Pittsburgh has been labeled as an organization that should be looking to acquire players at the deadline, and insider Mike DeFabo spoke about the potential of the franchise making a deal, and where on the roster it might be at in a recent piece for The Athletic.

"Given the strong 4-2 start to the season, Aaron Rodgers’ steady play and their early lead in the AFC North, the Steelers will be making calls in search of a wide receiver," DeFabo wrote. "Calvin Austin III has been a reliable WR2, but Roman Wilson is off to a slow start in his second season and the Steelers could certainly upgrade over role players like Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek."

Aaron Rodgers has certainly surprised some people with his play to begin the 2025 season, and he has given the organization some hope when it comes to making a playoff run. DeFabo believes the organization wants to upgrade the weapons he has, especially behind Austin in the wide receiver room.

Rodgers could be playing in his final NFL season, but there is also a chance he could return to Pittsburgh in 2026. He is only on a one-year deal, so the decision will be made after the 2025 season comes to an end. DeFabo believes Pittsburgh wants to give Rodgers his best chance of going on a run at the end of the year, which is why fans might see some aggressive moves from the Steelers ahead of the trade deadline.

"There’s a feeling inside the Steelers building that they want to do everything in their power to give Rodgers a legitimate chance to make a run this year," DeFabo wrote. "It would almost be surprising if they don’t find a trade partner in some form or fashion."

Pittsburgh is in a tough spot as an organization. The franchise wants to win now, but it also can't sacrifice the future, which makes it difficult to agree to trades and give up draft capital. The Steelers could be in a spot in 2026 where the franchise is looking to move up in the draft to land a potential franchise quarterback, and losing too many picks would make that hard to do.

Steelers Could Have A Few Targets At Wide Receiver

Pittsburgh seemingly wants to bring in another wide receiver prior to the NFL's trade deadline which lands on November 4th. Several names that have been mentioned include Jakobi Meyers, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed. The interesting part about those three names is that all three players would need new contracts upon being traded, which hurts their current trade value. 

This means the Steelers could give up less in a deal, which would help the franchise going into the 2026 NFL Draft.

What do you think about the Steelers making a move before the deadline for a wide receiver? Let us know in the comments below!

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