The Pittsburgh Steelers upgraded their wide receiver room over the offseason thanks to their DK Metcalf trade, but after they dealt away George Pickens shortly after, they're left with the same problem they've had in recent years. Pittsburgh has a WR1 for their quarterback to target early and often, but the supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired. A Terry McLaurin trade would've gone a long way toward fixing this issue, but after McLaurin's recent comments, we can safely rule Pittsburgh out as a landing spot.
McLaurin has made it abundantly clear that he'd like for the Washington Commanders to give him a lengthy and lucrative contract extension, but since nothing has gotten done, a trade felt somewhat possible for the Steelers to pull off. Again, McLaurin's recent comments change that.
"I've been pretty frustrated, not gonna lie. Everything that has transpired has been pretty disappointing. I want to continue my career here, I've created my life here, so I want to be here. Just to see how things have played out has been disappointing." -Terry McLaurin
— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) July 15, 2025
After watching fellow former Ohio State Buckeye Garrett Wilson get paid, McLaurin expressed frustration with how negotiations have been going with the Commanders. He wants to stay with the team, but on terms he believes are worthwhile. The Commanders have yet to offer a deal he likes. Chances are, the Steelers won't be able to either.
Steelers can safely rule Terry McLaurin out as wide receiver option
Adding McLaurin would've been a dream scenario for the Steelers. He doesn't get much recognition, but the 29-year-old has five straight 1,000-yard seasons, and he set a career-high with 13 touchdowns last season. He's been as consistent and as durable as they come. Pairing him with Metcalf for 2025 and beyond could've been something special with Aaron Rodgers throwing them the football (at least for this season), but how can the Steelers realistically make the money work?
Pittsburgh already gave Metcalf a four-year, $132 million extension when they acquired him, making him the fourth-highest-paid wideout in football. Chances are, McLaurin wants as much or possibly more than Metcalf in an extension. How can the Steelers conceivably pay both McLaurin and Metcalf while also fielding a Super Bowl-caliber roster? They can't, if we're being honest, especially with T.J. Watt wanting an extension of his own.
Where the Steelers go from here is tough to gauge. At this point, there's a good chance they'll enter the regular season with virtually the same roster they have right now, making it likely that Metcalf will be the WR1 and the likes of Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson and Robert Woods as supporting options. Is that good enough? No, but with McLaurin wanting a ton of money and there not being other high-end options available, Pittsburgh might be stuck with what they've got.