Steelers' Front Office Had Hidden Reason For Not Being Aggressive At 2025 NFL Trade Deadline

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't seem to be all that happy after the organization was very complacent during the NFL's 2025 trade deadline, despite reports stating that the opposite was expected. Nothing came to fruition for the franchise, which does lead to there being potential issues that could arise if injuries were to occur at specific positions. It was quite shocking that General Manager Omar Khan did not get aggressive, especially because the team is expected to have over 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, an event that will occur in the Steel City.

Khan has been known to make big moves ever since taking over the Steelers' front office, but it's evident that asking prices for any and all players he was interested in simply didn't align with what he was willing to pay. While the decision-makers in Pittsburgh seem to be just fine without participating in any significant deadline-day deals, fans had different opinions.

It's possible that the Steelers wanted to keep each and every selection that they will have come next April, but it may not be due to the fact that the organization is planning to trade up in the hopes of taking a franchise quarterback. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked during a fan chat about why the team would make so many moves in the offseason, only to fall short come the trade deadline. The veteran reporter brought some clarity to the situation.

"That's a good point," Dulac wrote. "Maybe because they know they can't keep overhauling their roster every year. At some point, you have to go back to what you have always believed -- that the best way to build a roster is through the draft. Then supplement your 53-man with some free agents or trades."

In recent years, Pittsburgh has been active in free agency, but draft selections haven't necessarily all worked out in the organization's favor. The more chances a team has to pick up areas of need in the draft, the better. If the opportunity doesn't arise to move up in round one to grab a signal-caller, the Steelers will still have the ability to bring in a plethora of new faces to the locker room.

Another fan in Dulac's chat was curious as to why all of the moves were made during the offseason, only for the front office to stay put at the deadline. It could have been due to an experience the Steelers had roughly a year ago.

"Let me raise this point: The Steelers traded a fifth-round pick for Mike Williams, comes in and immediately makes a splash play, and is barely used or targeted again," Dulac noted. "Averaged 19 snaps a game for his time here. Was that worth the investment if they weren't going to use him?"

The question that arises with this point is if Pittsburgh simply made a mistake by trading for Mike Williams in 2024, or if, for some reason, the coaching staff did not want him on the field. Regardless, it seems to have been something that Khan and co. learned from.

Steelers Can't Afford To Fail During The 2026 NFL Draft

Not only will one of the league's biggest events take place in the Steel City in 2026, but fans will be expecting a lot of action from Khan based on the projected picks. It's very hard for any team to end up using 10 or more selections, so the front office in Pittsburgh could be very busy for the entire weekend. It's clear that the franchise is valuing a fresh roster revamp over passing along valuable capital at the 2025 trade deadline.

Do you think that the Steelers should have made a trade on Tuesday? Let us know in the comments below!

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