Steelers' Omar Khan Missing Out On Particular Wide Receiver Is Great News: "Don't Think He's A Difference Maker"

The Pittsburgh Steelers allowed the 2025 NFL trade deadline to come and go on November 4th at 4 PM ET without making any additional acquisitions. Most believed that the Steelers would be buyers, with some believing that Steelers General Manager Omar Khan was all in on making an aggressive trade. However, the 4 PM deadline came and went without the Steelers making any major acquisitions to help the team on either side of the ball.

Many believed that the Steelers would be linked to star wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who had been favored to land with the Steelers before the Jacksonville Jaguars traded a fourth round pick and sixth round pick to acquire Meyers before the Steelers could. Missing out on Meyers was something that made many Steelers fans upset, and was widely discussed within the media circles. Recently, on the Kaboly + Mack show, insiders Mark Kaboly and Chris Mack were discussing the implications of the Steelers missing out on Meyers, along with other key targets. In this discussion, Mack made note of some interesting insight that will leave some Steelers fans relieved, while others will remain guessing.

"I'm not even talking about picks right here," Mack said. "Do you really think, when we look at this team, that a #2 receiver, Jakobi Meyers, who's had one 1,000-yard season, I'm not gonna downplay that, he's not a decent player, but is he a difference maker? I don't think he's a difference maker."

Mack's comments raise a valid point regarding how the Steelers' offense operates. The addition of Meyers would seemingly not have made the unit better to the point where people would consider them a top five unit in the NFL. The addition of Meyers would have helped, for sure, but Meyers was not going to be the ultimate solution for the issues on offense the Steelers face. Mack's comments seem to be directed at what some Steelers fans are saying after the trade deadline, being upset that the Steelers added absolutely no one on offense, whether it was Meyers or other receivers the team had been linked to. 

The real issue for the Steelers' offense is not going to be solved by adding in another player to slot in behind current star wide receiver DK Metcalf. The issue also won't be solvable overnight if different players begin to emerge as stars on the offense. The major issue that the Steelers have on offense is not related to any specific player being here or not being here.

Steelers' Offense Needs To Establish Consistency

The real issue for the Steelers on offense is a lack of consistency throughout the weeks. In certain weeks, the Steelers will come out swinging, such as in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings when they put up 182 yards through the air and 131 on the ground. Then, they'll turn around and have a performance like they did against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, where one side of the offense looks great, while the other side looks terrible. In the case of the Packers game, the run game could never get going while the passing game took off, making the offense one dimensional.

Had the Steelers been able to add Meyers to the offense, Meyers would not have magically been able to make the Steelers perform consistently week in and week out. The inconsistent performances would have likely continued with him in the fold, so Khan decided to not spend two draft picks to acquire Meyers at the end of the day. Only time will tell if Khan made the right decision. 

What did you think about Mack's comments regarding Meyers not truly being a difference maker in the Steelers' offense? Let us know in the comments or on X at @SteelersSwamp7.

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