Steelers' Omar Khan Receives Warning About Inevitable Bidding War

The Pittsburgh Steelers have established themselves as one of the teams to watch ahead of the NFL's trade deadline. The deadline falls on November 10th, which is the Tuesday between Week 9 and Week 10. The Steelers only play one game until then as the team's bye week falls in Week 9, and if the team can win its Week 8 game against the Cleveland Browns there should be no question about whether or not the franchise will try to upgrade its roster in some areas. If the Steelers can take down the Browns the team will have a record of 6-2 and the lead in the AFC North going into the bye week.

General Manager Omar Khan should be looking to acquire some talent at a few different areas on the roster, but the most important position is probably wide receiver. The Steelers are dealing with some injuries at that spot, and the team just needs more depth at the position in general. There are a few intriguing names around the NFL that could be available via trade, including Brian Thomas Jr., Josh Downs, Ladd McConkey, or even DeVonta Smith. The Steelers should be in communication with any of those teams in order to see what the potential price might be for any of those players.

The only problem is that the Steelers are not going to be the only team that needs some wide receiver help ahead of the NFL's trade deadline. The Kansas City Chiefs are another team that may be desperate for help at receiver, and if the player is going to have any say in a potential deal, any receiver should be picking the Chiefs over the Steelers. Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo hosted a mailbag for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday, and he was asked if Pittsburgh would be in on any wide receiver trades.

"If all it takes to get a starter for a third or a fourth [round pick], then yes, I do think the Steelers will be involved in those talks," Fittipaldo wrote. "But you have to know the Chiefs are thin at receiver too. There might be a bidding war for some of these receivers who are on the block. I'm sure other teams will be involved too."

The problem with multiple teams being involved when it comes to trading for the same player is that a bidding war can occur, and that will drive the price up. Players like Thomas, Downs, and McConkey would be sent wherever their team can get the best value via trade, while the Philadelphia Eagles might allow a player like Smith to have some say in a move after winning a Super Bowl with the franchise. Any wide receiver presented with an option would choose to play with Patrick Mahomes and for a head coach like Andy Reid.

It is also worth noting that both the Steelers and Chiefs have additional draft capital, meaning they have made trades to bring in extra picks. The Chiefs have an extra third round pick in 2027 that originally belonged to the Los Angeles Rams. The Steelers have an extra third round pick in 2027 as well thanks to the Dallas Cowboys. Khan will need to be careful in any of these potential trades, because the price might get out of hand with other teams like the Chiefs involved.

Steelers Be Realistic About Future In 2026

The reality of the Steelers is that this team is very close to what the team has been in recent years. That basically means that a miraculous postseason run probably won't happen, and the addition of one player isn't likely to change that. It would only be worth taking the risk to bring in more talent if the price is right, and if the player that is brought in can contribute in 2027 and beyond.