There truly has not been a dull moment for the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the 2025 offseason. The chatter about Aaron Rodgers has been nonstop, while the organization also made a huge trade for DK Metcalf, only to follow that months later by sending George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in a deal. The franchise is now right back where it started when the 2024 season kicked off. The team has a solidified number one wide receiver, but the depth behind that individual is average at best. Many throughout the fan base are confused as to what General Manager Omar Khan is planning to do next.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan holds up a phone to his ear as he stands in the team's War Room during the 2025 NFL Draft.
The structure of the Steelers' roster in recent years has been focused on the trenches. There were several offensive linemen selected in 2023 and 2024, while the front office made the defensive line a priority in the 2025 NFL Draft. In the last three years, however, Pittsburgh has only selected one wideout in Roman Wilson, who was pretty much nonexistent during his rookie season due to injury.
An interesting piece to this puzzle is that no other pass-catcher on the Steelers' roster is a legitimate proven "number two' wide receiver. Robert Woods could have once been considered this, but he is now 33 years old and will be more of a role player for the offense. Mark Kaboly, team correspondent for the Pat McAfee Show, recent noted something on X that Khan said back during the Annual League Meeting a couple of months ago.
"'You need more than one receiver in this league,' Khan said at the Annual League Meeting in March," Kaboly wrote.
That's a simple statement from Khan, but it speaks volumes. While guys like Wilson, Woods and Calvin Austin III will be set to contribute, no one is expecting any of them to vault into stardom. Wilson could certainly surprise people, but it's currently looking gloomy for the team's wide receiving corps, which could signal that Khan was blowing smoke, or potentially acknowledging that the offense will have two unquestioned studs at the position come the regular season.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A5902-544x306.jpg "Steelers - Calvin Austin")
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Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III hauls in a catch as the team practices on the field at St. Vincent College during 2023 training camp in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Cowboys now have CeeDee Lamb and Pickens. The Philadelphia Eagles have AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Pittsburgh's division rival in the Cincinnati Bengals possess Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and now Emeka Egbuka.
There are a number of other dynamic groups of receivers in the NFL, but even if a talented team doesn't have a solid unit, the quarterback is good enough for the organization to get away with it. A prime example of this is the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl the very next year after trading Tyreek Hill away. Unfortunately for the Steelers, they do not possess a star signal-caller; and the receiving corps is drastically underwhelming.
Khan needs to get to work and a small move isn't going to get the job done for Pittsburgh. If the general manager meant what he said back in March, then he needs to acknowledge that another play-maker is needed in the room. If not, his comments could be received as hypocritical. He failed in acquiring a top-tier wideout in 2024 to pair with Pickens, and when the now-traded star went down with an injury late in the season, the offense looked absolutely lost.
The Steelers' offense will quite literally be nonexistent if something ends up happening to Metcalf. That's the reality the franchise faces unless Khan makes some kind of move to bring in another formidable pass-catcher. Ian Rapoport noted on Wednesday that Khan may not be done, and the fan base is surely hoping that the head of the front office is on the phones.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan stares off into the distance as he stands on the field in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers On The Verge Of Really Upsetting Loyal Fan Base
Pittsburgh hasn't put a good offensive product on the field for quite some time. It was finally expected to be exciting with Metcalf and Pickens in the mix, but that is no longer a realistic possibility after the trade on Wednesday. Time will tell if the organization has it figured out, but there is no doubt that Khan needs to make another move that is certain to better the receiving corps on offense.
Do you think that Khan has a plan after trading Pickens? Let us know in the comments below!
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