The Pittsburgh Steelers are at an odd spot with their receiving core. After trading Diontae Johnson away, the team was left with a gaping hole at the position. Even though they drafted Roman Wilson to help address their receiver need in the long-term, many fans and media pundits believe that they still need another option at outside receiver now. The Steelers also signed Van Jefferson, and they believe that Calvin Austin III can take the next step, but there are a lot of questions out there for the Steelers and their receiving core.
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Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk catches a touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers during a 2023 NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Steelers have been linked to numerous receivers on the trade market, with the biggest one being Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers. Steeler Nation has been all over the idea of the team landing a superstar receiver, and with all the recent news surrounding Aiyuk, a trade seemed inevitable -- whether he went to Pittsburgh or somewhere else.
Omar Khan, however, does not see the situation like the fans do. He praised the receiving core that the Steelers currently have. He was asked about what was happening in terms of trading for any receiver, and he disappointed a large chunk of the fan base with his answer.
"There's nothing going on right now [in trade talks]. I'll tell you this: when you have 32 [general managers], conversations always happen, but there's nothing ongoing right now."
Khan also previously mentioned that he is always looking to upgrade any position group if an opportunity shows up. He even tried to talk with the Minnesota Vikings about trading for arguably the best receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson. There have also been rumors of the Steelers trying to trade for Aiyuk, but the 49ers wouldn't budge from their ask. Aiyuk himself thought that playing in Pittsburgh would be a real possibility.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend.
Steelers Will Be Fine Without Blockbuster Receiver Trade
Obviously, the Steelers want elite players at every receiver position, as well as every position on the team in general, but the trades have to make sense for the Steelers to go for them. Alex Highsmith has been rumored as a guy that could be shipped off for someone like Aiyuk, but how much sense does that make? Would the sudden lack of depth at edge rusher truly be worth it to upgrade the receiver core?
On top of that, the Steelers are going to be a run-first team that will opt to use the passing game as a complementary piece. Their running back tandem combined for over 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2023. Of course, they still need some kind of passing game, but having more plug-and-play guys than big names is not the worst-case scenario for the team. George Pickens can still step up and be the team's top receiver, while guys like Austin, Jefferson, and Wilson can rotate around as the next man up.
Associated Press
Steelers' Calvin Austin III breaks away for a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3 of the 2023 season.
Arthur Smith also does not typically use three-receiver sets. When he was the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons, his team ran the fewest percentage of plays with three wide receivers on the field, which makes the position less of a concern or a need. The Steelers will most likely have multiple tight ends and/or running backs on the field at the same time and truly go all in on the run game.
While it's always fun to acquire a superstar player that can be an instant upgrade for the team, it may not be the right decision to trade a nice package away for a receiver. Khan has been right a lot about this team before, so there's all the trust in the world for how he sees the receiver room.
What do you think about Khan admitting that nothing is happening for the Steelers in terms of trading for a receiver? Let us know in the comments.
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