Steelers Signing Cooper Kupp Isn't Worthwhile If It Means They "Say Bye" To This Critical Piece On Offense

The Pittsburgh Steelers found out the hard way that the offense needs more work than many people expected during the start of the 2024 season. Defenses quickly realized that the offense couldn't function at a high level if they shut down George Pickens. That's really saying something, considering that Pickens often takes heat for not being a consummate team player.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan defended their decision to fail to secure a second wide receiver. They told the fans they had confidence in the rag-tag group they added to Pickens and Calvin Austin III. That depth included Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Mike Williams, and Ben Skowronek. 

Recently, Cooper Kupp requested a trade from the Los Angeles Rams, and the Steelers were immediately linked to him in trade rumors. Mark Kaboly, from The Pat McAfee Show, talked with his podcast partner Chris Mack on their show Kaboly and Mack about picking up Kupp.   

"I don't think that's what they need right now," said Kaboly emphatically. "I think he's definitely on the way back end of his career. If you looked at him last year, he was a shell of himself the last six to eight games coming off that, I think it was a knee injury. Early in the season, he looked good for a couple of games, but then he just disappeared with a really good offense, a really good coordinator, a really good quarterback."

Kaboly said that perhaps if Khan can work his magic and somehow obtain Kupp very cheaply, then it might make sense. He noted that Kupp is due a roster bonus of about $7.5 million on top of his base salary of $12.5 million. He said there is no way the Steelers will spend that kind of money for a 32-year-old.

He is not the Kupp of three years ago, said Kaboly, even if Louis Riddick believes he can still be a 1B receiver. He said they have money, but how much will they want to spend just on the wide receiver room? He doesn't like the idea of losing Austin to get Kupp. 

"There's a guy that had a pretty decent season this past year," added Kaboly. "Calvin Austin is heading into the final year and we don't really talk about that guy being a guy you wanna lock up before he hits free agency. But what he did last year, you might have to consider him as a guy you want to sign. Now, is he a 3 for $30 million type of guy? Potentially. It's not like that is crazy money nowadays in the NFL. Would you rather have Cooper Kupp at 32 years old with the best days behind him, or Calvin Austin for four years at $8-10 million a year? Of course, you'd like to have both, but I don't if I would do that to just say bye to Calvin Austin."

Austin was a fourth-round pick in 2022, but missed his rookie season due to an injury. In 2024, he had 36 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns. He also returned 29 punts for another 289 yards and one touchdown. His longest return was 73 yards. 

The Steelers can't roll it back this year just like they did in 2024 and expect to improve their situation. Fans expect bigger and better after watching multiple trades fall apart last season. 

Steelers Unlikely To Move On From George Pickens

Despite the outcry of frustration from fans who see Pickens as a malcontent who should go, Kaboly doesn't think that will happen. He told fans to prepare themselves for seeing him in black and gold in 2025. 

He said the best hope is that Pickens can display his incredible talent without creating new issues. The only way he sees the Steelers trading Pickens is if they can sign Tee Higgins or someone of that caliber, and he thinks that's unlikely. 

Would you want to see Austin go if it meant they signed Kupp? Tell us what you think below. 

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