Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan, like other NFL GMs, has been aggressive in his tenure looking to retool his organization's roster. In Khan's two years in the role, he has torn down and rebuilt the inside linebacker and quarterback rooms, and has made significant moves to better the Steelers' chances to win a Super Bowl in 2024.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan.
When asked which of these moves was Khan’s best during a live chat on Tuesday, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette couldn’t help but mention the trade that spawned the nickname "The Khan Artist."
“Best move is trading [Chase] Claypool for Chicago's second-round pick, which turned into Joey Porter Jr. Worst move? I don't know. We'll see what happens in the draft, but I think there are some high salaries on the defensive line that didn't meet with production. Maybe they're banking on Cam Heyward having a bounce-back year, but that's always risky when a player is aging.”
The trade that sent Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears in November of 2022 may go down as one of the best trades in recent Steelers memory that had massive ripple effects throughout the NFL.
The Trade Between the Steelers and Bears
At the trade deadline in 2022, many teams were calling on the Steelers with hopes of acquiring the former Notre Dame standout in Claypool. Khan, with options on the table, settled on the Bears' offer of their second round pick in the 2023 draft, which became #32 overall (the Bears had the worst overall record, and with the tampering penalty against the Miami Dolphins that revoked their first round pick, the Steelers acquired #32 overall). The Steelers ended up drafting Joey Porter Jr. out of Penn State, who became an AP Rookie of the Year finalist in 2023, while the Bears would trade away Claypool less than a year later to acquire a 2025 sixth round pick from the Dolphins.
During his time with the Bears, Claypool played in 10 games, collecting 191 yards on 18 receptions and a single touchdown in 2023. This trade not only helped set the tone for Khan’s tenure in Pittsburgh, but helped lunge the Steelers forward in what was supposed to be a rebuild period to return to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2021.
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Claypool warming up prior to game with Bears.
The Aftermath
As mentioned, this trade had massive ripples throughout the NFL, changing the landscape of what a wide receiver was worth in trade compensation. The following are the notable trades that focused on acquiring a wide receiver since Claypool's trade.
- The Jacksonville Jaguars acquired Calvin Ridley from the Atlanta Falcons for a 2024 third round pick and a 2023 fifth round pick
- The Chicago Bears acquired DJ Moore and other picks from the Carolina Panthers for a 2023 first round pick (Bryce Young)
- The Dallas Cowboys received Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans for a 2023 fifth round pick and a 2024 sixth round pick
- The Cleveland Browns received Elijah Moore and a 2023 third round pick (Cedric Tillman) from the New York Jets for a 2023 second round pick
- The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Allen Robinson and a 2023 seventh round pick (Spencer Anderson) from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2023 seventh round pick (Jason Taylor II)
- The Miami Dolphins received Chase Claypool and a 2025 seventh round pick from the Chicago Bears for a 2025 sixth round pick
- The Detroit Lions received Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 sixth round pick
- The Cleveland Browns acquired Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos for a 2024 fifth and sixth round pick
- The Carolina Panthers acquired Diontae Johnson and a 2024 seventh round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers for Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth round pick
- The Atlanta Falcons received Rondale Moore from the Arizona Cardinals for Desmond Ridder
- The Chicago Bears acquired Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2024 fourth round pick
- Houston Texans received Stefon Diggs, a 2025 fifth round pick, and 2024 sixth round pick while sending a 2025 second round pick to the Buffalo Bills
Not a single receiver went for higher than a fourth round pick one for one. All this stems back to the trade to send Claypool out of Pittsburgh. The move cast doubt on the value of receivers, when seemingly every season there are hidden gems in the draft like Tank Dell, or Puka Nacua.
Looking back on the trade that started it all and comparing it to the trades we see now, you could say the Steelers fleeced the Bears, while making a franchise altering move. Though the Steelers are seen as winners of this trade acquiring a potential franchise cornerback, the Bears ultimately weren't as hurt by the move, thanks to the trade prior to the draft sending the first overall pick to the Panthers. But when it comes to overall impact, the Steelers are viewed widely as the ones who came out on top.
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Steelers Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Knocks A Pass Away From Seahawks Receiver DK Metcalf
Since this trade, Khan and the Steelers have been much more aggressive in acquisition and movement of players and picks, including trading up for Broderick Jones in the 2023 NFL Draft, and more recently, acquiring Justin Fields from the Bears this offseason. Khan’s aggressiveness has defined what Steelers fans have been wanting to do in terms of filling team needs, and it’s reasonable to believe that though the Claypool trade may be Khan's best move currently, an even better move is still out there to be made.
What do you think is Omar Khan’s best move as GM? Let us know in the comments below!
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