The Pittsburgh Steelers have a massive Week 8 showdown with the AFC North-leading Cleveland Browns. Back in August, there probably weren't many fans across the NFL who believed that a statement such as that could be true. The good news for Mike McCarthy and Co. is that a bye will come immediately after the big-time matchup. The unfortunate part is that a hungry Cincinnati Bengals group will be on the docket for Week 10. The division is arguably the league's most competitive through a couple of months, and pretty much anything can happen as the season goes on.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stands alongside General Manager Omar Khan as the two watch the team practice during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The November 10th trade deadline has to be on the mind of plenty of organizations that are in the mix for a Super Bowl run. The Steelers, Browns, Bengals and Baltimore Ravens might all be active. It would be a very rare case of all four looking to buy at the same time. Pittsburgh should be particularly interested in the movements coming from Cincinnati and Baltimore, given the fact that both front offices could make moves prior to future contests.
Any acquisition that a competitor makes will have Omar Khan thinking he could or should have done more. That is exactly why weeks around Halloween are always so exhilarating. That was made very apparent on Thursday when the Chicago Bears sent two first-round picks to the Tennessee Titans for defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.
The next blockbuster move could be coming to the AFC North. If it does, the Steelers might be directly affected by it if it occurs while they are enjoying a Week 9 bye. Pittsburgh already took care of the Indianapolis Colts in 2026; however, Jonathan Taylor is not easy to contain twice. He might be on the move, and a recent report from Easton Butler suggested that Cincinnati is expected to be very involved in trade talks.
"Several teams have called the Colts about running back Jonathan Taylor, including the Packers, Giants, Bengals, Vikings and Broncos," Butler reported. "Most have been a quick ask of the price (rumored to be 1st + more), with the Bengals seemingly the most interested."
The Colts seem to be in full-on fire sale mode. If that is the case, it's very possible that the decision-makers may consider trading Taylor. If they did, it would bring in a hefty return. The Bengals dealt their 2026 first-rounder for defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II, so why not continue the trend and pass along 2027 capital for a ball carrier as dominant as Taylor?
An acquisition such as this would make the AFC North even more complicated, and Taylor's presumptive initial showing could be against Pittsburgh in Week 10. This would certainly provide a change in game planning when and if a deal occurs.
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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson (41) in the third quarter of a game at Acrisure Stadium.
Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor could have a serious operation working if Taylor was running the ball with Joe Burrow under center. The play-action game would be lethal, and opposing defenses might have serious problems preparing. This hypothetically isn't a problem for the Steelers just because of one more regular-season game. Cincinnati's offense could be dominant with this kind of setup, which would lead to plenty of victories down the stretch.
Pittsburgh isn't in the market for a running back, nor should it be. With that said, McCarthy has had arguably the best ball carrier in the division throughout 2026 with Jaylen Warren. The arrival of the Colts' workhorse might change everything. Overall, the best thing for the other three franchises in the AFC North would be the Bengals not getting overly aggressive in an attempt to acquire Taylor.
Steelers May Have Their Own Deadline Moves To Make
The matchup between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati will occur on November 15th. It is a big one too with it being a Sunday Night Football production. The storyline might be even more attractive if that contest suddenly gets Taylor thrown into it. Khan has the advantage of having the Steelers' bye week to explore deals, but the coaching staff might be thrown for a loop if out of nowhere it has to worry about one of the game's best ball carriers for the second time in less than two months.
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