ESPN Insider: Steelers Looking Like "Next Team Up" To Make Big Trade For Wide Receiver Help

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been involved in trade talks for two elite wide receivers during the 2024 calendar year. The team and General Manager Omar Khan were expected to look for reinforcements after trading Diontae Johnson, but attempts to land Brandon Aiyuk and then Davante Adams both fell through. This leaves a team ranked 28th in passing yards per game desperate for a spark in the area. There aren't a plethora of top-notch options expected to be in the trade market leading up to the November deadline, but a lot can change in a matter of weeks. Khan will need to get to work.

It has been frustrating for the fan base to watch, despite the Steelers being 4-2 in the first six weeks of the regular season. The Black and Gold faithful is used to the gold standard at the wide receiver position, but that has fallen off. Even George Pickens has struggled for the majority of the 2024 campaign. He is attracting a ton of attention from opposing defenses, which is another reason why an external option might be necessary.

In ESPN's weekly insider report from Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, a lot of discussion about Pittsburgh was relevant to the quarterback situation, but Fowler added in an interesting tidbit towards the end of the piece that should have gotten the attention of Steelers fans. Khan and co. could very well be soon ready to finally make a move.

"Pittsburgh appears to be the next team up. It has been scouring the earth for receiver help, making strong pushes for Brandon Aiyuk and Adams in the past. [Mike] Williams could make some sense as a deep-threat option, though the Jets and Steelers play this week, which complicates matters. Either way, Pittsburgh will be looking," Fowler wrote.

The prospect of acquiring Mike Williams from the New York Jets is interesting now that Adams has made his way to the Big Apple, but after coming off of a torn ACL and not contributing too much in 2024, one has to wonder if he would really move the needle. It's also easy to argue that he would be an upgrade, even if he isn't playing at as high of a level as the Jets expected him to.

The Steelers may wait to make a move on a wide receiver given the current dilemma at quarterback. If Russell Wilson does indeed get the start in Week 7 against the Jets and the passing game opens up, it's possible that the front office waits all the way until the trade deadline to facilitate a potential trade. On the other hand, the team may consider it more urgent right now and go after someone sooner rather than later.

It shouldn't come as surprising that Pittsburgh may be the next team up to go after a dynamic pass-catcher. The biggest problem, however, may be that one significant enough to change the offense isn't going to be available. Patience is a virtue, but Khan's in recent months may have cost the organization a season-changing wide receiver.

If the Steelers believe that a Super Bowl is in reach in 2024, then there should not be a single doubt internally that a move needs to be made. Sitting at 4-2, it may not be imminent, but it surely should come into play before the deadline.

Steelers Have A Championship-Caliber Defense

Despite injuries to both sides of the ball, Pittsburgh's defensive unit is the main reason why the team has the second-best point differential in the AFC. Fans saw, however, that relying on one phase of the game to win can come back to bite a franchise. The defense faltered in back-to-back losses in Weeks 4 and 5, which is why it would be comforting to resolve the offensive inconsistencies. Going out to get a difference-maker in the receiving game could prove to be crucial.

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