The Wrath Of A Petty Jerry Jones Just Completely Devastated The Steelers

The unfortunate part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 NFL Draft first-round process isn't necessarily about the player that was selected: Max Iheanachor. Possibly the story of Thursday evening, with the big event being hosted in the Steel City, was General Manager Omar Khan on the phone with top wide receiver prospect Makai Lemon, only for the Philadelphia Eagles to buzz in and steal him away. It was a shocking turn of events that has not often been seen at the professional level. To add to the storyline, the Dallas Cowboys were willing to trade with their division rival to hurt Pittsburgh.

Not only was the entire situation fascinating, but it truly undercut what the Steelers were attempting to do. Adding Lemon to the receiving corps would have made it so much better and possibly put the unit among the best in the NFL. Now, Pittsburgh will continue to face criticism for not resolving the position several years ago. Khan is going to remain under a ton of pressure moving forward.

One of the most interesting pieces to the puzzle was Jerry Jones and Howie Roseman getting together to quite literally send the Steel City into a frenzy. The Steelers called Lemon, believed they had their man, and then two of the league's fiercest rivals decided to play nice for just a matter of a couple of minutes. This begs the question of why the Cowboys would be okay with giving the Eagles a possible generational wide receiver.

Jones has always been outspoken, but another word that has to come to a Steelers fan's mind in this spot is petty. Mike McCarthy was the leader of the Cowboys' locker room from 2020 to 2024. While there is no known feud between Pittsburgh's new head coach and Jones, Dallas' owner had to be grinning from ear to ear knowing that someone he recently fired was not going to get away with picking another successful first-round wideout.

McCarthy's first draft selection with the Cowboys was CeeDee Lamb. Jones surely knew that the Steelers might be targeting Lemon and he was willing to risk Lemon being an All-Pro with an NFC East divisional foe, over allowing Pittsburgh to select him. While it is purely speculative, it absolutely comes off as fishy based on how the whole thing transpired.

Iheanachor might turn into a phenomenal player for Pittsburgh. There's no way to tell, but, in the moment, the Steelers have to be wondering why Dallas would be so open to completely this trade. Was two fourth-round selections really worth the new Eagles wide receiver dominating your defense for a decade? Or did that not even come to mind in the moment because the thought of hurting McCarthy on his new journey was too good to pass up.

Philadelphia has been to Super Bowls, and won two, recently. The Cowboys have not found their way to the big game since beating the Steelers in the 20th century. In-division trades aren't unheard of on draft weekend, but this one just feels different. Pittsburgh's brass has to currently have a lot more animosity for Jones rather than Roseman, and Dallas' head man most likely couldn't be happier.

Steelers Now Have To Completely Change Their Draft Course

Pittsburgh has several opportunities to better the team moving forward. However the front office chooses to do that will be determined later on, but the entire situation sheds a negative light on Khan and co. The Steelers got played by two NFC division rivals out of nowhere. There is no where that McCarthy isn't thinking, in the back of his mind, that Jones wanted to make his life more difficult. It's the kind of executive that Jones has made himself out to be over the years.

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