The Pittsburgh Steelers trade rumors are running hot at the moment. The deadline is under two weeks away, and wide receiver Chase Claypool is right in the middle of all of the rumors. The Green Bay Packers have been a team specifically tied to Claypool, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers needs another talented wideout.
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We'll find out sooner rather than later if the team does indeed move on from Claypool, who is in his third year in the league. If the team does trade him though, they better be confident in the guys stepping into Claypool's role. Most specifically, rookie wide receiver Calvin Austin III. Austin hasn't played a snap yet this season, as he remains on the IR with a foot injury.
Austin still has over a week to be activated off the IR, as he returned to action early last week. As a result, he nears a return. Otherwise, his whole rookie season would be lost. It will likely take the rookie a while to get caught up to the speed of the NFL. Just two weeks ago, he acknowledged his fitness wasn't quite there yet, so that's why the team has likely kept him out for now. Still, he's confident in his knowledge of the offense, as was able to build chemistry with Kenny Pickett in training camp.
Once he is caught up to speed though, watch out. Austin impressed everyone in Latrobe with his lightning-quick acceleration. Beyond Austin, the team's wide receiver options are slim. Miles Boykin has established himself as one of the best special teams players on the team, but he's not exactly a threat on offense. He has just one catch for 11 yards this season after he also had just one catch in all of 2021.
For his career, Boykin has had 34 catches for 481 yards in 46 games. The former Baltimore Raven has played just 22 snaps on offense this season, 6% of the team's snaps on that side of the ball.
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Elsewhere, Gunner Olszewski isn't much better at wide receiver, as he's played just 29 offensive snaps. He's yet to catch a pass while running the ball twice for 18 yards. Additionally, he's seemingly in the doghouse after his struggles in the return game. After multiple fumbles from Olszewski, Steven Sims took over as the return man. After an 89-yard return in the team's Week 6 victory, the job seems to be Sims' for the rest of the season.
Olszewski's roster spot is severely in jeopardy once Austin returns. Austin could provide a backup option in the return game. Thankfully for Olszewski, he may just get one last chance this upcoming weekend against the Miami Dolphins. Sims is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, so his status is unclear for Sunday night. He picked the injury up in the Week 6 victory, and on Wednesday, he did not practice.
If the team is able to get a high draft pick for Claypool, then they'd likely pull the trigger. With that being said, there's no reason for GM Omar Khan to give him up for anything less than he's worth. The team needs him, as he's been the primary slot receiver this season with JuJu Smith-Schuster gone. While he's disappointed at times, Claypool still has loads of talent.
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Who would step in as the team's No. 3 WR if they traded Claypool? Would you be confident in the WR room to step up if he left? What would you trade him for? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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