Steelers Miss Extraordinary Opportunity To Help Improve Passing Attack During The 2023 NFL Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Steelers currently possess a record of 4-3, tied for second place in the AFC North. Coming off an extremely disappointing Week 8 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team will need to quickly bounce back as they will face off against the Tennessee Titans in the opening matchup of the Week 9 slate. The 2023 season has been quite interesting for the black and gold thus far. While the defense continues to put the team in advantageous situations to win, the offense has sputtered horrendously, failing to find any sort of traction in both the run and pass game. 

One of the biggest disappointments during the 2023 campaign has been the Steelers' lack of success in throwing the football to anyone other than George Pickens or Diontae Johnson. Many fans anticipated veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson or sophomore speedster, Calvin Austin III, to make a major impact in the passing game. Unfortunately, neither player has done much of anything. Collectively, the duo only has 32 receptions on the year for a meager 306 yards. 

Furthermore, third-year tight end, Pat Freiermuth suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 and was subsequently placed on Injured Reserve. Even when Freiermuth was healthy, he was not a featured component of the Steelers offense, only hauling in eight receptions for 53 yards. With all this in mind, many anticipated Omar Khan to make a move at the NFL 2023 Trade Deadline for a playmaker to help rejuvenate an offense that is in desperate need of a spark. Ultimately, this was not the case. 

Does The Steelers' Passing Attack Possess Enough Firepower? 

The Steelers are fortunate to have two immensely talented receivers in Pickens and Johnson. Entering his second season in the NFL, Pickens has clearly demonstrated himself to be the team's most dangerous down-the-field threat. He is averaging an impressive 18.6 yards per catch and is well on his way to eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards. Johnson, who recently returned from his own hamstring injury, has proven to be a reliable pass catcher who is widely regarded as one of the league's best route runners. 

Beyond these two, there are serious question marks as to who will step up and emerge themselves as the next best option. Robinson and Austin are certainly more than capable of doing so, but are running out of time to prove themselves, and quickly. Getting Freiermuth back will help the cause, but there is no denying that the Steelers need someone to step up and help take the pressure off Johnson and Pickens. 

There were a number of wide receivers who were rumored to be available via trade such as Hunter Renfrow of the Las Vegas Raiders, Richie James of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Marquise Brown of the Arizona Cardinals. While these three players are far from household names, they would have given Kenny Pickett a legitimate threat in the slot and likely could have been brought in for next to nothing in terms of draft capital. 

Improvement In Offensive Production May Be A "Simple" Fix For Steelers 

Pickett was expected to take a significant leap forward in year two. While he has certainly had moments in which he was looked like the quarterback of the future for the Steelers, he has yet to fully prove himself as one of the better signal-callers in the AFC. With this in mind, the recipe for success in terms of putting points on the board during the second half of the 2023 season may be similar to that of 2022, running the football. 

During the Steelers' final nine games in 2022, in which they won seven, the team made a commitment to getting Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren more involved. When this happened, things began to open up for the young quarterback and the Steelers' offense found a way to put points on the board. Needless to say, it may take a similar effort from Harris and Warren in 2023 if this team wants any hope of helping this offense get back on track. As the weather gets colder, the Steelers typically play better. Let's just hope and pray this trend continues this season. 

Thoughts, Steeler Nation? 

Do you agree with the Steelers' decision not to make any moves at the trade deadline? Do you think Robinson and Austin have what it takes to help improve the passing game? Be sure to let us know in the comments! 

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