Steelers Insider Reveals Surprising Twist Behind Quiet Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Steelers left the 2026 trade deadline without giving fans the addition or additions many had hoped to see. However, the lack of movement does not necessarily tell the entire story about what happened behind the scenes. While most of the attention centered on who the front office could bring in, there was another side of the deadline worth considering.

General Manager Omar Khan had opportunities to evaluate his options before the deadline passed. Fans wanted help, particularly at wide receiver, but acquiring a player was only one possible avenue. Pittsburgh also had veterans other teams could have viewed as potential additions.

Moving someone would have created a different conversation. A return of draft capital might have been appealing, but the coaching staff would have had to account for losing an experienced player during a season in which the team is 6-2. The front office apparently entered the deadline with a firm position on that possibility.

During his latest fan chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac addressed the subject of Pittsburgh holding onto its players. His answer explained what he had heard about the team's intentions while leaving room for something fans might not have considered.

"I was told they weren't going to trade any of their current players and they didn't," Dulac wrote. "That doesn't mean they didn't get calls from other teams inquiring about some of their defensive players."

That second part is where things get interesting. Dulac did not identify anyone, and he did not confirm that a specific team called about a specific defender. However, his response leaves open the possibility that Pittsburgh's quiet deadline included inquiries about players already in the building.

Several names would make sense as guesses. Cole Holcomb, Alex Highsmith, Jaquan Brisker, and Patrick Queen belong in that discussion, although none should be presented as someone Dulac identified.

Holcomb is an understandable starting point. A team searching for linebacker help could have viewed him as someone worth asking about. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, would have needed to weigh any potential return against the value of keeping another experienced option available. Depth can become much more valuable once injuries begin affecting a position.

Queen would bring a different level of attention to that same group. His name alone would generate plenty of discussion if another club had checked on his availability. There is a considerable difference, though, between a team making a phone call and the Steelers entertaining the idea of moving him. He is playing his best football in the Steel City, so it would have made little sense to trade him.

That distinction matters with Highsmith, too. Pass rushers can attract interest because teams are always searching for ways to affect opposing quarterbacks. Asking about an established edge defender would hardly be difficult to understand. Convincing Pittsburgh to part with one would be an entirely different challenge.

Brisker is another reasonable guess for a team looking at the secondary. Safety help can appeal to contenders trying to address a weakness before the stretch run. Again, that does not establish that anyone called about him. It simply makes him a name worth considering when discussing which defensive players might have drawn inquiries.

The bigger takeaway is that Pittsburgh apparently did not approach the deadline looking to subtract from its roster. Fans can disagree with the lack of additions, but trading away a current contributor would have carried consequences of its own.

Dulac's answer also puts a limit on how far this discussion should go. There are no named suitors, offers, or negotiations in his response, but the fan did ask about Holcomb specifically. 

Speculating about potential targets is fair. Treating those guesses as players Khan nearly traded would go well beyond what was said.

Steelers Chose To Keep Defensive Options Together

For Pittsburgh, holding onto those players preserves options as the season continues. A quiet deadline can frustrate fans, especially when a roster has needs, but creating another hole would have required a worthwhile return and a plan to replace the departing player.

Dulac's explanation suggests that moving current players was never part of the intended approach. Whether calls came about Holcomb, Highsmith, Brisker, Queen, or someone else remains unknown. What is clear is that the front office followed through on keeping its personnel. The unanswered question is how much interest Khan might have heard before the deadline finally passed.

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