Davante Adams teases Steelers fans about dream George Pickens upgrade

The Pittsburgh Steelers' season ended with a thud. Five straight losses to cap an otherwise solid year will put the entire team on the chopping block, with only a few notable exceptions. Among those scant few who are safe, of course, is longtime head coach Mike Tomlin, who continues to dodge the hot seat. That is the benefit of 18 straight winning seasons.

How Pittsburgh improves from here is unclear. The Steelers aren't bad enough to add high draft picks, nor good enough to meaningfully contend in a cutthroat AFC. The quarterback position remains a point of emphasis. Omar Khan and the front office can't seem to figure it out post-Ben Roethlisberger. Russell Wilson may or may not stick around, but absent extreme luck in the NFL Draft, a long-term solution probably won't be available this summer.

The Steelers' offense feels hamstrung for as long as the quarterback room remains a revolving door. More than that, however, Pittsburgh needs to engage in some serious introspection about the offensive game plan. Arthur Smith's scheme fell utterly flat in the Steelers' 28-14 loss to Baltimore in the Wild Card game. Also, the roster. Khan appears safe in the GM chair, but with a feeble run game and very few consistent pass-catchers, it's no wonder Wilson flopped so hard down the stretch.

Wide receiver was a focal point for Steelers fans ahead of the trade deadline. The most popular hypothetical target was Davante Adams, who wound up in New York with Aaron Rodgers. Next season, though? Anything can happen, especially as the Jets continue to implode.

Davante Adams swings door wide open to join Steelers

Adams' tenure in New York was effectively one-and-done, especially if Rodgers calls it quits. Should he leave, Adams will probably have his pick of contenders at a reasonable price point. He showed signs of inevitable decline this season, but even at 32 years old, few wideouts are more dexterous and dependable.

When asked if he might enjoy teaming up with Mike Tomlin in the Steel City, Adams was remarkably candid. Yes, he would.

You can practically feel Adams' agent pulling their hair out behind the scenes. Most upcoming free agents are a bit more tight-lipped about their desired landing spots, but Adams is at the point in his career where winning — not money — is probably of greatest importance. The Steelers, if nothing else, tend to stack wins in the regular season.

Adams was on Pittsburgh's radar this season, but they ended up with a Jets cast-off, Mike Williams, instead. Williams made nine catches in nine weeks as a Steeler, so... not exactly a paragon of productivity. The Steelers need to upgrade the WR room around George Pickens, whose inconsistent production and fiery personality might mean he benefits from the locker room presence of a vet like Adams.

Pittsburgh still needs to figure out the quarterback room — it doesn't matter who catches passes if there's nobody to throw 'em — but signing Adams would meaningfully improve the Steelers' immediate outlook, even if it's unwise to let hopes rise too high at this stage of his career. Adams is not a long-term solution, of course, but as a mentor and placeholder, few better options exist for the Steelers.