The Pittsburgh Steelers are fighting through some adversity after the first five games of the 2026 season. The team is banged up in a few areas, and the organization might need to look at some outside help. The secondary is beat up, but the franchise has already gone out and made some veteran additions at cornerback. Both Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek went down at wide receiver during the team's Week 5 win over the Indianapolis Colts, and Pittsburgh is now pretty thin at the position. General Manager Omar Khan should be looking at outside help, and there are some decent options available.
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Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan stands on the field surface and looks off into the distance as the team participates in a 2026 training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
With Wilson and Skowronek down, rookie Germie Bernard is going to be thrust into a larger role. He was already taking on more responsibility as Michael Pittman Jr. was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) ahead of Week 5, but that role is amplified with two additional injuries at the position. Brandon Smith is a wide receiver on the practice squad in Pittsburgh that can be expected to step up, while Kaden Wetjen is another possibility, but it doesn't seem like the offensive staff trusts him to take on a true role on the offense.
Externally, the Steelers have some options. There are some flashy and unrealistic options like signing Tyreek Hill, and then there are some options that are a bit more realistic. One of which is signing newly-released wide receiver Darius Slayton. His release was reported on Friday.
Colts released veteran WR Darius Slayton.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 16, 2026
Slayton entered the NFL back in 2019, and he spent his entire career with the New York Giants up until the 2026 season. He was released by the Giants between the end of training camp and the start of the regular season, and he then signed with the Colts. He never appeared in a game for Indianapolis as he was dealing with a knee issue.
Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images
Former Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton hauls in a pass during a home game for New York in 2025.
Slayton was a well-respected wide receiver in New York, and he played on some rough teams. He went through a few different quarterbacks and coaching staffs, but he always found a way to play well and produce decently. He recorded at least 700 yards in four of his seven seasons in New York, and he also caught eight touchdowns back in 2019. He is now a free agent, and he is certainly a player that the Steelers could consider bringing in to help a depleted wide receiver room.
There should be some concern surrounding Slayton. A player with his resume should not be getting cut twice within a span of two months. The release by New York makes some sense as a new coaching staff came in and the organization wanted to move in a different direction, but the release from the Colts is concerning. Indianapolis needs help at wide receiver just as much, if not more than the Steelers. He was dealing with a knee problem, so maybe his health is something that is going to keep him off of the field for the foreseeable future.
Steelers' Mike McCarthy Should Be Familiar With Darius Slayton
After playing seven seasons with the Giants, there are plenty of folks around the league who should be pretty familiar with Slayton and what he can do on a football field. Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike McCarthy is one of them. He was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for five seasons, and he coached against Slayton in each of them as the two played one another twice a season within the NFC East. There should be some interest in Slayton from McCarthy, but that might not matter if the veteran's health is up in the air at the moment.
What do you think about Slayton being a potential option for the Steelers? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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