Steelers Biggest Remaining Need Is Obvious

WR Remains Biggest Need

For what feels like an eternity at this point, the Steelers have questions looming about their wide receiver room. They attempted to make a splash trade for Brandon Aiyuk ahead of the 2024 campaign only for him to sign an extension with the San Francisco 49ers, and all they did to address the position at last year's trade deadline was acquire Mike Williams from the New York Jets.

Pittsburgh finally brought in a big name this past offseason with DK Metcalf, landing him via trade from the Seattle Seahawks and promptly signing him to a four-year extension worth $132 million, but the depth at the position is still severely lacking.

Metcalf's been the epitome of a No. 1 option for the Steelers with 15 catches for 261 yards and three touchdowns through four games, and it seems Calvin Austin III may avoid missing time with a shoulder injury he sustained against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, but there's still something missing.

The likes of Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek simply haven't contributed enough, with the former two members of that group combining for a single catch so far this season, and it doesn't help that neither Jonnu Smith nor Pat Freiermuth have emerged as true receiving threats at tight end.

Potential WR Solutions

Sitting at 3-1 and suddenly finding themselves as the favorites in the AFC North while the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals deal with injuries to significant players, the Steelers may be able to afford to wait out the receiver market instead of forcing the issue.

Regardless, kicking the can down the road won't make the problem go away. Pittsburgh's margin for error on offense will be greater if its defense continues building on back-to-back strong performances, but at some point an incomplete receiver room will come back to bite the team.

Barring any drastic improvement from their current ancillary options, there isn't a solution for the Steelers' deficiency either on their 53-man roster or practice squad. Isaiah Hodgins has proven himself to be a reliable target in the past, though he put up just 242 yards over the last two seasons with the New York Giants.

Bringing in reinforcements via trade feels like Pittsburgh's best course of action, but the organization has to have its sights set higher than it did last year. Whether it's willing to make another big move after an offseason full of them remains to be seen, but doing so may be necessary in order to capitalize on this current window.