Steelers Made Big Mistake Not Trading for WR

WR Trades Around The League

While big names such as Jaylen Waddle and Chris Olave ultimately weren't dealt, a pair of receivers who were connected to the Steelers and certainly would've helped them were sent elsewhere on deadline day.

The Las Vegas Raiders traded Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth- and sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, while the New Orleans Saints moved speedster Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for 2026 fourth- and fifth-round selections.

It appears Meyers was Pittsburgh's top choice at the position, as ESPN's Adam Schefter stated on "The Pat McAfee Show" that the organization made a push for him before being outbid by the Jaguars.

State of Steelers' WR Room, and Why They Made a Mistake

The Steelers have skated by this season without a complete receiver room while sitting atop the AFC North with a 5-3 record, but it's simply not a winning formula in the long run.

After arriving in an offseason trade from Seattle and immediately signing a four-year extension worth $132 million, DK Metcalf has been productive with 467 yards and five touchdowns on 29 catches.

Additionally, Calvin Austin III's on pace for a career-high in yards at 223 through six contests even after missing two games with a shoulder injury. The issue, though, is outside of those two players, Pittsburgh has absolutely nothing else to write home about in the passing game.

Roman Wilson has logged 107 yards over his past four contests, but his decision to hurdle an Indianapolis Colts defender in Week 9, which led to a lost fumble when the Steelers' win was essentially already sealed, may lose him some goodwill.

Scotty Miller is currently nursing a broken finger that is now set to sideline him for a second game in a row, and Ben Skowronek hasn't held much of a role as a pass catcher this season.

The thought was that the presence of tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith would help mask Pittsburgh's deficiency at receiver, but that simply hasn't been the case considering they've combined for only 386 yards entering Week 10.

It's understandable why the Steelers may have been a bit hesitant to part ways with a first- or even second-round pick in order to land a premier receiver, but making no moves at all when the team feels like it has its best chance of contending in a long time feels like something the front office will come to regret in the future.

Either Meyers or Shaheed would have profiled as strong fits in Pittsburgh's offense, but with no outside reinforcements coming in via trade, the team better hope that either Marquez Valdes-Scantling emerges as a legit option now that's he back with Aaron Rodgers or that their current players improve.