Steelers Chased 3 Receivers Before One Alarming Issue Killed A Calvin Ridley Deal

The Pittsburgh Steelers left the NFL trade deadline without a new wide receiver, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. For weeks, fans heard a long list of names tied to Pittsburgh, and on Tuesday night the picture finally came into focus. A longtime Steelers reporter revealed the three receivers the team actually discussed in trade talks, and another insider explained why one of them fell off the board. Together, they give the clearest look yet at how General Manager Omar Khan approached the deadline.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac shared the details on X a few hours after the deadline passed.

"SOURCES: Steelers had discussions about a trade for one of three WRs -- Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr., Indianapolis' Josh Downs and Tennessee's Calvin Ridley. But Thomas and Ridley were never traded and Downs – a popular target of trade rumors – was dealt to KC," Dulac reported.

That lines up with what fans had heard for most of the past two weeks. Brian Thomas Jr. and Josh Downs were the two most common names, and both had ties to Pittsburgh's search for help around DK Metcalf. The third name, Calvin Ridley, was the surprise.

Each player fit a different version of what the Steelers needed. Thomas was the long-term swing, a young receiver with No. 1 potential who had fallen out of favor in Jacksonville after being benched, as SteelerNation noted when the trade idea gained support. Downs was the reliable slot option who could help right away. Ridley was the veteran rental who would not have cost much in draft capital.

Ridley never had a real chance to become the answer. Independent Steelers insider Mark Kaboly explained why on X.

"Steelers were interested in WR Calvin Ridley but his recent 'legal incident' at the Nashville airport soured them on trading for him," Kaboly wrote.

SteelerNation reported on Monday that the Steelers were likely out on a receiver target after possible legal trouble surfaced, and Kaboly's report confirmed that the incident ended Pittsburgh's interest.

Steelers Came Close, But Every Door Closed

Each of the three options ended differently. Thomas stayed in Jacksonville, as the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to keep their young receiver instead of selling him. SteelerNation covered how the Jaguars quickly ended trade talks before the deadline.

Downs went to the Kansas City Chiefs, who sent fourth- and fifth-round picks to the Indianapolis Colts for him, according to Yahoo Sports. That price wasn't outrageous, which makes it fair to wonder how close Pittsburgh came to matching it.

Ridley stayed with the Tennessee Titans. He would likely have been the cheapest of the three and has a long track record, including a 1,017-yard season in his first year in Tennessee. But the airport incident made him too big a risk for a team that values its locker room as much as Pittsburgh does, and the front office moved on.

Khan's approach fits what the Steelers said all along. They wanted help at receiver, but not at any price. Head Coach Mike McCarthy said on Monday that the team would welcome anyone who could help them win, but that he trusted the front office to make the call.

"I have great confidence in Omar and Art, if there's something there, that we'll do the right thing," McCarthy said, via Steelers.com.

Now the Steelers will lean on what they have. The biggest piece is Michael Pittman Jr., who has been on injured reserve with a foot injury since early October.

"I think Michael is getting close," McCarthy said in his Monday press conference, posted on the team's YouTube channel.

Rookie Germie Bernard has also given the offense more opposite Metcalf. A healthy Pittman would give Aaron Rodgers the kind of No. 2 option the Steelers were shopping for, without giving up a draft pick to get him. That was the bet Khan made when the clock ran out on Tuesday.

The first test comes Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, with first place in the AFC North on the line. If the passing game holds up, the quiet deadline will look like patience. If it doesn't, these three names will come up again.

This story was produced with the help of AI and reviewed by SteelerNation editors.

#SteelerNation