Steelers could be screwed out of best remaining trade deadline option

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Pittsburgh Steelers fan complaining about the team's 6-2 start. Russell Wilson is, against all odds, dealing. The Steelers' defense is elite, as expected, and Arthur Smith appears to be fairing better than Matt Canada. That's a low bar, but it's a bar Pittsburgh couldn't cross for years.

If there's a weak point on the roster, it's wide receiver. George Pickens remains electric, but the depth chart falls off quickly with Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, and Scotty Miller. Pittsburgh's decision to trade Diontae Johnson in the offseason has backfired rather dramatically, as he was just dealt to Baltimore on Tuesday. Now the Steelers' former WR2 is actively working against them in a tightly contested NFC North.

The list of trade options for Pittsburgh ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline appears to be rapidly dwindling. A lot of the big names floating around the rumor mill have already been dealt. Amari Cooper, Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, and now, Diontae Johnson. Cooper Kupp was a possibility for a second there, but Sean McVay basically yanked Cupp off the trade block himself. Who can the Steelers realistically target at this point?

There will always be hypotheticals, but trading for a mediocre receiver from a mediocre team won't change the trajectory of this Steelers offense. Pittsburgh needed a major splash and those opportunities are few and far between.

The biggest name still picking up steam in trade rumors is Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tee Higgins, but Pittsburgh can basically cross him off the list.

Bengals aren't going to trade Tee Higgins in the division to Steelers

On the surface, Higgins provides exactly what the Steelers are lacking at wide receiver. He's 6-4 and 219 pounds, muscling his way to contested catches and producing consistently in the red zone. Injuries got in Higgins' way last season, but he put together back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns prior to that. Whereas Pickens can take the lid off of defenses with his speed, Higgins offers a wide catch radius and a uniquely physical presence at wide receiver.

The 25-year-old was franchise tagged for $21.8 million this season. Higgins will become a free agent next summer, when Pittsburgh would have the financial resources necessary to re-sign him. Whereas the Bengals are encumbered by the historic contract of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase's forthcoming free agency, Pittsburgh is paying well below market value at the quarterback and WR positions. Pickens will get his money soon enough, but the Steelers will probably start a rookie at quarterback next season or bring back Russell Wilson for dirt cheap. That leaves them enough flexibility to re-sign Higgins.

Unfortunately, none of that will happen, because Cincinnati isn't sending one of its most dependable pass-catchers to a division foe. The Bengals' path is hard enough after dropping to 3-5 with Sunday's loss to Philadelphia. Trading Higgins to the first-place Steelers would actively work against Cincinnati's aspirations this season.

So, the Steelers are basically praying for a miracle. Jordan Addison would be ideal, but there's no suggestion that Minnesota will actually trade the disgruntled first-round pick. Who's next on the list? Adam Thielen? Jonathan Mingo? Some other Carolina castoff? It's pretty bleak, and Omar Khan will profoundly regret letting it reach this point.