Insider: Steelers Likely To Wait Until The End Of August For A Wide Receiver: "Whoever Gets Cut On August 29th"

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers along with a 2024 seventh-round pick for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 sixth-round pick. The move was the culmination of Johnson's frustrating 2023 season, the emergence of George Pickens, and the receiver's apparent desire to move on from the team. Ever since Johnson was traded, though, the rumor mill has been on overdrive, connecting the Steelers to a slew of pass catchers around the league.

The reports that have the Steelers making some kind of move for San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk haven't quieted down, with Pittsburgh's release of Denzel Mims stirring the pot. Pittsburgh has been nonchalant about the wide receiver situation, though, seeming to be content with the group the team has heading into the 2024 season. Mark Kaboly was on The Joe Starkey Show on Wednesday to break down the upcoming training camp questions. During a free association segment, Kaboly had the same answer to the Steelers acquiring Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, or Courtland Sutton.

"No."

However, Kaboly also made it quite clear that he didn't expect the Steelers to begin the 2024 campaign without adding anyone to the receivers' group. He was immediately pressed for a specific name that the Steelers would seriously consider bringing in before the season began.

"Whoever gets cut on August 29th. Best guy available."

Pittsburgh is approaching a 2024 season that is essentially a one-year prove-it deal for several key offensive players. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields want to show that they have much more than their previous respective seasons resulted in. Najee Harris saw his fifth-year option declined and is now out to earn a guarantee from the Steelers or possibly to show other teams what he is capable of before 2025 free agency arrives.

With a new offense under Arthur Smith and several players out to prove what they have left, the Steelers seem much more comfortable with the wide receiver group than the fans or media. Other than Pickens, Pittsburgh will be relying on a group of pass catchers with quite a low amount of experience. They lost two of their top four receiving options from the 2023 season by trading away Johnson and letting Allen Robinson go (85 combined receptions), with Pickens and Jaylen Warren leading the pack.

The speedy Calvin Austin III only caught 17 passes with one touchdown in 2023, and Van Jefferson played with the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams in 2023, but only caught 20 passes without a score. Quez Watkins pulled in 15 catches with one score for the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles, and Roman Wilson is a rookie who hasn't played a single NFL snap yet. That is a ton of inexperience backing up Pickens, who showed flashes of immaturity during the 2023 campaign.

Kaboly paints a picture of a Steelers' organization fully prepared to go into a 2024 season without a surefire NFL-caliber starting receiver. Pickens has had glimpses of greatness, and while he outgained Johnson during his first two seasons in the league, there is still plenty of room for him to grow. While the team may have faith in the receivers on the roster, training camp has a tendency to illuminate errors.

Steelers Could Stand Their Ground

After such a frustrating, painful 2023 season, the Steelers are eager to put as much distance between the team and that brutal campaign as possible. Bringing in Smith to run the offense was a big step, and drafting several key pieces to the offensive line sets up both new quarterbacks for an upright, productive year. However, with Pickens leading the receiving corps, the team still seems to be lacking a true complement to the former Georgia pass catcher.

While it might not be Aiyuk, Sutton, or Samuel, Pittsburgh has shown the aggressive ability to make big moves, as the front office has throughout the 2024 offseason. With a dangerous backfield, a formidable offensive line, and the most expensive defense in the league, there is the chance that Pittsburgh simply sees the receiver situation in a completely different light than everyone else.

What wide receiver should the Steelers make a big move for ahead of the 2024 season? Comment below.

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