The Pittsburgh Steelers have extra time to find a quality player to trade for, since it's the bye week. General Manager Omar Khan is always working the phones, trying to figure out who would be a great fit without outright mortgaging the future on one player. There are numerous players that have been linked to Pittsburgh. It would make sense to bring in a wide receiver with all the injuries and inconsistencies at that position. For a 6-2 team trying to put it all together, one more piece could help to put them over the top.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan looks on as the team sets up in front of fans to workout at the annual Friday Night Lights training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
However, things have gotten concerningly quiet on the trade front. Numerous insiders and analysts have said that there won't be any deals done to truly take this team to the top. If the Steelers do make a trade, it's going to be a very cheap one where they only have to give up one of their late-rounders, and it likely wouldn't be for an immediate starter anywhere on the lineup.
Overall, the Steelers have been making fewer trades than they did when Khan first took over, and there may be a reason for it. While participating in an Ask Me Anything segment on Reddit, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler gave a brief explanation of how these deals get done in the first place.
"Trades are mostly done between GMs, so those who have good relationships tend to execute deals more frequently," Fowler said.
The Steelers may be struggling to get these deals done, not just because they're happy with where the team currently is, but because other teams don't possibly like Khan. It's clear that several players might not, as only three general managers were rated lower than him in the 2026 NFLPA Report Card. That possible disdain may travel beyond the players and into the front offices of other organizations.
In 2025, Khan was seen as the 12th best general manager in the NFL, but many of the reports surrounding him have not been all that great. He came out with guns blazing in his first full offseason in 2023, and he was praised for his aggressive moves and refusal to stick with the status quo. Ever since then, it seems like his reputation has gone down by the year, and he is likely seen well below 12th in the league in 2026.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone and has a conversation in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend as he speaks with someone on the other line.
If all these teams don't want to trade with the Steelers, then the general manager can't keep his title of the “Khan Artist.” It's unclear exactly how little unwilling these other front offices are to have some sort of relationship with him or what he does to upset everyone, but it's clear something isn't right. If all these concerning reports are true, then these quiet trade deadlines in Pittsburgh will continue for years.
Steelers' Recent Trade Concerns
Over the previous two seasons, the Steelers have struggled to find a partner to engage in high-level trade negotiations. Most of the time, Khan has spoken with Jerry Jones, as Pittsburgh and the Dallas Cowboys have executed three trades since the 2025 offseason. The two sides were reportedly deep in negotiations to send Patrick Queen to Dallas, but that never went through.
Khan also completed two trades with Chris Ballard in 2026, but the Indianapolis Colts' general manager was fired in the middle of the season. All other trades have been with late-round picks that no one really worries about. The only other notable deal that was made was trading Minkah Fitzpatrick away for an older defensive back in Jalen Ramsey, as well as shipping off Kaleb Johnson at depressed value.
What do you think about the Steelers struggling to get needle-moving trades done with the NFL seemingly not liking Khan a lot? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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