The Pittsburgh Steelers were apparently open for business before the NFL's trade deadline on Halloween at 4 p.m. ET. Then the day came and went without any moves. The team had been actively pursuing a deal to acquire some cornerback help in the form of Chicago Bears' former second-round pick Jaylon Johnson, but couldn't agree to terms. A Pittsburgh radio host said he's heard Pittsburgh wasn't willing to budge on a rich asking price from the Bears.
Jae C. Hong / AP
The Pittsburgh Steelers were rumored to be heavily interested in acquiring Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson at the 2023 trade deadline.
According to 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi, Chicago was intent on getting a second-round pick for Johnson, and Pittsburgh, along with other teams, were not willing to pay that much. The Utah product has started 45 of 45 games for the Bears since he was a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. In 2023 so far, he started six games while collecting a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
Update on Jaylon Johnson-Steelers discussion: I've heard the Bears wanted the Steelers 2nd round pick. And Pittsburgh wouldn't budge.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) November 1, 2023
Good move Omar Khan.
The 24-year-old cornerback had requested a trade and had been granted permission by the team to try and find a new home. According to reports, Pittsburgh had been among the front runners to acquire him.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' rookie cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. participate in the team's OTA's in Pittsburgh, PA.
Pittsburgh reshaped its cornerback room pretty heavily during the 2023 offseason. Cam Sutton, who played an important role on the defense in 2022, departed for the Detroit Lions in free agency. Veterans Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan were brought over from the Minnesota Vikings to try to lessen the blow of losing Sutton. The team invested draft picks in lengthy corners Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. The only returning faces with major playing time in 2022 were Levi Wallace and James Pierre.
The team also tried out former Houston Texans cornerback Desmond King II after his release. He was used primarily as a kick returner, only getting one snap on defense before Pittsburgh let him go. The Steelers were waiting for King to get acclimated with the defense before getting him involved in the defensive game plan. That never materialized and King was let go on Oct 18. He was replaced by rookie cornerback Darius Rush, who was signed off the Indianapolis Colts practice squad.
There are a few reasons besides the price of a second-round pick that may have soured Pittsburgh General Manager Omar Khan on making a deal for Johnson. First is that he only has the rest of this year on contract and it could be a costly rental.
Second, as seen with the King experiment, Pittsburgh likes to give new acquisitions a real runway to learn before throwing them in the fire. With no bye week left, the coaching staff might not have felt comfortable bringing him in without being able to have that extra time for him to get used to the defense. Finally, the team is giving Porter Jr. more and more time to acclimate himself to the NFL and might also want to incorporate Rush, who is already part of the program.
Johnson will be an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason, so it's certainly possible that Khan and the Steelers circle back on the 24-year-old then if their interest is as significant as was reported.
Steelers And Bears Nearly Trade Partners Again
If Pittsburgh was indeed as close to getting Johnson as some reports have speculated, it would've marked a second straight deadline that Khan and Bears General Manager Ryan Poles came together for some business. As Steelers fans will fondly remember, Khan was able to fetch a second-round pick in the 2023 draft for disappointing receiver Chase Claypool at the 2022 NFL trade deadline.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Former Steelers wide receiver, Chase Claypool shows up to a 2022 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Claypool had fallen largely out of favor in Pittsburgh and fetching a second-round pick was considered a very strong move for Khan. It became even better when the pick turned into the first pick of the 2023 second round and Pittsburgh landed Porter Jr.
Do you think Khan was wise not to give a second-round pick for a possible rental cornerback? Are you upset Pittsburgh didn't make a deal on deadline day? Comment below!
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