The Pittsburgh Steelers were making their rounds of calls during the 2025 trade deadline, but as time was running out, it became clear that all of the franchise's offers were turned down, so the front office was forced to settle for just Kyle Dugger, who was acquired the week prior. General Manager Omar Khan definitely tried. Even though he is a very aggressive executive, he still won't overpay for a player if he doesn't feel like it would be worth it. He won't get into bidding wars, and most of the time, that's a good thing.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Kyle Dugger gets involved on a tackle during a game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2025.
There was a previous report that the Steelers were close to a deal with the Miami Dolphins to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but the interim general manager supposedly got "cold feet" and called the trade off entirely. It's unclear exactly what Pittsburgh offered, but it must have been good enough to make Miami consider it: just not enough to make them feel comfortable with the deal.
On Saturday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport wrote about exactly what the Dolphins wanted for Waddle, and he did confirm that the Steelers were pursuing him as well.
"Meanwhile, the Dolphins held firm on wanting a first-rounder and maybe more for Waddle and despite calls from teams such as the Steelers and Broncos, he stayed in Miami," Rapoport said.
With how much the Steelers are looking into drafting a franchise quarterback, there was no way that they were going to part with their first-round pick, let alone anything extra on top of it. Between the two reports, however, it seems like Khan got very close to convincing the Dolphins to make some sort of compromise, although any details of that are unclear at this point.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers’ General Manager Omar Khan intently making a crucial phone call during the intensity of draft night, coordinating key decisions to shape the future of the franchise.
There was another report that said the Steelers had no interest in doing a player-for-player deal to weaken another position, even though teams called Khan to try and bring in guys like Alex Highsmith. The most likely scenario there is that there were a good mix of Day 2 picks for 2026 and 2027, and maybe some conditional picks and/or depth pieces on the table as well.
The Dolphins fired General Manager Chris Grier right after their Week 9 loss on Thursday Night Football, so the interim general manager had to come in and work the phones in one of the most chaotic times of the NFL year. He did execute a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, but numerous players that were expected to be shipped out ended up staying put, like Waddle.
Steelers And Dolphins Had Numerous Reasons To Not Trade With One Other At The Deadline
Khan has fleeced a couple of teams in trades during his short tenure as Steelers' general manager. His main one was giving up receiver Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a second-round pick, which ended up being the first pick of that round in the following year. It wouldn't be surprising if this new guy in Miami caught on to that and got worried that he might be the next one to get laughed at for getting robbed by Pittsburgh.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan smiles in front of the camera as he speaks with the press for the first time after being promoted in May of 2022.
The Steelers had no interest in paying top dollar for a wide receiver when they have the lowest 11-personnel (three wide receivers) usage in the entire NFL. Their gameplan is built around tight ends and not forcing Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball a ton, so giving up a first-round pick would have accomplished nothing in the long run. Waddle would have been nice, but he would not be the needle-mover that warrants giving up a premium pick and then some.
What do you think about the Dolphins' price tag for Waddle, as well as the Steelers passing on it? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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