Steelers WR targets continue to slip away with latest unfortunate injury update

The Pittsburgh Steelers were in dire need of some wide receiver help over the offseason, which is why they were in the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes before he inked an extension with the San Francisco 49ers. That need extended into the regular season, which is why they were involved in the Davante Adams pursuit before he was shipped off to the New York Jets.

Despite the glaring need at the receiver position, Omar Khan has not made a move yet. The Steelers are still rolling with George Pickens as their top option with the likes of Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Scotty Miller behind him on the depth chart. The Steelers might be 5-2 heading into their Week 8 matchup against the New York Giants, but their receiver room might be what holds them back in matchups against quality competition.

With the trade deadline a little over one week away, the clock is ticking for Pittsburgh to make a move. With Aiyuk, Adams, and even guys like Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins off the board, options have been flying off the board. Now, with Christian Kirk suffering a season-ending collarbone fracture in Sunday's game according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, another option has gone by the wayside.

Steelers miss out on another potential WR trade target as Christian Kirk suffers season-ending injury

Whether the Steelers would've actually traded for Kirk after whiffing on Aiyuk, Adams, Cooper, and Hopkins is up to you to decide, but the fit was obvious. With those receivers off the board, Kirk was arguably the best option out there (if Cooper Kupp is off the board). He would've been a great addition and a major upgrade over the likes of Jefferson, Austin, and Miller. Pickens is fine as the WR1, but the options behind him are the real problem.

Kirk hasn't quite matched the production level he had from his first season in Jacksonville when he had over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns, but there's no overstating the kind of upgrade he'd be in their wide receiver room over everyone other than Pickens.

Now, with Kirk off the board, there's no telling where Pittsburgh will turn to upgrade their receiver room. Diontae Johnson is probably the most popular trade target out there, but a return to Pittsburgh right after they traded him feels incredibly unlikely. Other lower-end options like Mike Williams and Darius Slayton are out there as well, but Kirk is considerably better than both of them.

Waiting as long as they did has come back to bite Pittsburgh. Options are dwindling by the day, whether that's due to injury or trade. If the Steelers want to make a move, they'd be better off getting something done sooner rather than later.