Steelers Could Be Looking For Big Splash Trade To Reunite Russell Wilson With A Favorite Target

During the second day of legal tampering, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. With that trade, George Pickens and Calvin Austin III are the only NFL-caliber receivers on the roster. The Steelers obviously have a big hole at the receiver position now, and many insiders are predicting an immediate move to help with that. The draft is also available for the Steelers, but with a young offensive unit, they likely need a veteran presence to help out. There are still some options out there for the Steelers and their new quarterback, Russell Wilson. 

Even though Wilson did not spend much time in Denver, he still had some chemistry with his former teammates. The Broncos already traded Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns for a fifth and sixth-round picks, but they have some other quality receivers there. The Steelers could be eying up Denver's top receiver from the last few seasons: Courtland Sutton. 

Sutton has not been able to reach the highs he hit during his second season, but he has still been a reliable receiver for the Broncos, racking up 1,601 yards over two seasons in Denver with Wilson. He is currently entering the third year of his four-year contract extension. He would count for over $17 million against the cap in 2024, but Omar Khan can deal with the contract later, similar to what he did with Allen Robinson II during the 2023 offseason. 

How Would The Steelers Make The Deal Work?

Due to the Broncos' recent offensive struggles and Sutton's contract, the Steelers could control the leverage of the deal. They could make it to where they only give up a fifth or sixth-round pick, and they could also ask for a seventh-round pick in return. They recently received an extra sixth-round pick in 2024 via Johnson trade with the Panthers, so they could maybe work that in.

Also similar to the Robinson deal, Khan can work the deal so the Broncos have to eat a portion of his salary for 2024. That would likely have to be a necessity, as Sutton's deal would take up what's left of the Steelers' cap space (as of Wednesday). The Broncos would eat some, then the Steelers could work on a restructure to push more of Sutton's 2024 salary into 2025. 

If the Steelers would not move any of Sutton's salary over to 2025, he would be an easy cap casualty if he does not work out for the Steelers, as he would save the team $14 million in cap while only roughly carrying a $3.8 million dead cap. Even if Khan chooses to move some money over, he would still be a potential cap casualty, depending on how much money gets moved over in the restructure. 

How Would The Steelers Work Sutton Into The Offense?

While Sutton likely can't be a team's top receiver anymore, he could be a solid starting option, and he could be the calmer, more collected receiver while Pickens takes up the attention of the defense with highlight-reel catches. He will have to be an effective run blocker though, since Arthur Smith's offense revolves around a strong running game, especially with the Steelers having a dynamic one-two punch at running back.

Either way, Sutton could be the veteran presence that the Steelers need in the receivers group. Robinson was a good run blocker, but he just couldn't produce like you would expect out of him. Sutton would produce in the passing game much more, and he could also help mentor whichever rookie that the Steelers draft. Even if Sutton can't reach the highs that he previously did, he can find ways to help his team. 

What do you think about the Steelers' potentially trading for Courtland Sutton, as well as how a trade would look like? Would he be a good replacement for Johnson? Would the chemistry with Wilson show up? Let us know in the comments.

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