Steelers are destined to never trade for a WR based on latest reporting

For decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to be a factory for talented wide receivers. From first-round picks to undrafted gems, the Steelers seemed capable of developing any player into a superstar. There were towering threats like Plaxico Burress, do-it-all stars like Hines Ward, and savvy route runners like Antonio Brown.

In 2024, Pittsburgh’s wide receiver well seems to have dried up. The Steelers found a budding star in third-year wide receiver George Pickens, who was a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the talent is scarce behind him.

The Steelers were slated to have wide receiver Diontae Johnson on the team this season, but he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in March due to concerns about his influence on the locker room. Since then, the Steelers have desperately attempted to find a viable weapon to line up on the perimeter across from Pickens. So far, those attempts have proven to be futile.

Steelers nearly traded for Christian Kirk before his injury

The Steelers were in the process of negotiating a trade to acquire wide receiver Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars before the trade deadline on November 5, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.

Schefter claimed there was “a reasonable chance” that the deal would’ve been finalized, but Kirk suffered a devastating collarbone injury during Jacksonville’s Week 8 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The Jaguars placed Kirk on their injured reserve list on Saturday, effectively ended the potential for any trade this season.

Kirk is far from the only wide receiver that the Steelers have pursued this season. They emerged as favorites to land wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk after his contract negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers soured during training camp. Aiyuk even named the Steelers as a preferred destination, but he ultimately signed a deal with the Niners before the regular season.

New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams was also linked to the Steelers after New York acquired wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders. That deal reportedly fizzled out, with the Jets opting to keep Williams around after wide receiver Allen Lazard was placed on injured reserve with a chest injury, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen still remains a potential trade candidate for the Steelers, but the clock is ticking. The Steelers only have a few more days to work out a deal before the league’s trade deadline on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET.