The Pittsburgh Steelers are interested in replenishing the vacancy that the George Pickens trade to Dallas opened up. They’ve turned their attention to the New Orleans Saints' budding star, Chris Olave. But their aggression in landing a receiver with a lot of upside has a major flaw, one they may not be giving the Saints enough credit for.
The Saints have already lost quarterback Derek Carr to an abrupt retirement. Now trading away their top receiver target for a quarterback room that needs as much help as possible just doesn’t make sense for New Orleans.
New Orleans currently has Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough on a collision course to decide the starting quarterback. Neither of them is an elite prospect to the point that they could elevate a bunch of role players. They need a comfortable weapon as their go-to option.
Olave is that weapon, which is why the Steelers probably can’t offer anything worth it for the Saints to actually consider making this trade. It’s a good thought, though.
Pittsburgh will have to turn elsewhere for George Pickens replacement as they’re ignoring biggest flaw in Chris Olave trade interest
The Steelers should have either had George Pickens’ replacement lined up or prepared for a real trade package to convince the Saints to come off of Olave. While his 2024 season was hampered with concussions, his first two seasons were proof that he’s the future for their offense.
Look at all the good teams, they have a certified No. 1 receiver in the offense. The Saints might not have a quarterback, but that’s what makes Olave’s impact that much more important. Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough to offer to make that deal worth it.
Truthfully, would it really be worth having DK Metcalf and Olave together? They can find a better option at No. 2. And if Olave ends up turning into a player like Tee Higgins for the Cincinnati Bengals, do the Steelers really want to handcuff themselves to two massive contracts with their receivers like the Bengals?
The Saints aren’t probably going to deal Olave before the trade deadline, if at all, which is probably better for the Steelers. They should spend this time focused more on getting Aaron Rodgers rather than another receiver.
It won’t matter who their No. 2 receiver is if Mason Rudolph or Skylar Thompson end up being QB1.