I don’t want to talk out of both sides of my mouth here. When the NFL trade deadline came and went, I was vocal with my praise of the Jacksonville Jaguars for their “F—k them picks” approach and pushing all their chips to the middle of the table.
Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans were hopeful that general manager Omar Khan would make a big move(s) of his own after the Steelers were at the center of trade rumors for the better part of a month. Instead, Pittsburgh stayed put and didn’t make any trades before the 4:00 PM EST deadline on Tuesday, which led to many a Steelers fan to all but proclaim the season as over.
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I don’t know how I became the rational one as it pertains to the Steelers, but the front office not making any sort of trade doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Would I have enjoyed seeing a big-time safety like Amani Hooker or Jessie Bates head to Pittsburgh? Yes. The same can be said about a cornerback like Riq Woolen or Charvarius Ward. At the same time, though, the defense is phenomenal. They are fourth in fewest points per game allowed, seventh in yards per game, and their run defense has been the best in the NFL since Week 4. I’m all for a great unit getting even greater, and would have loved a trade for any of the aforementioned names, but I’m also not throwing my hands in the air about it.
As it pertains to the receiver position, there were simply no needle-moving trades to be made. Brian Thomas Jr. was the golden goose and best available name at the position – the Jaguars opted to keep him, and that was probably the right move on their part. Who else were the Steelers supposed to try and get? Josh Downs isn’t a needle mover. Calvin Ridley certainly isn’t, either. They’ll get Michael Pittman and Roman Wilson back in the lineup before the end of the season, which will provide in-house aid to the group of pass-catchers.
Yes, I love when a team goes balls to the wall and puts everything on the line to win a championship. I mentioned the Jaguars, and they are a perfect example of that. However, they are also in a very different position than Pittsburgh organizationally. They have a long-term answer at quarterback signed and locked up in Trevor Lawrence who is continuing where he left off in 2025 when he finished fifth in MVP voting. They have a group of three-five legitimate pass-catchers at receiver and tight end and a good run game. They are the only team in the league that is currently top five in offensive and defensive EPA. And while the Steelers are in the midst of a great season themselves, they don’t have that long-term answer at quarterback on the roster, making them (understandably) hesitant to part ways with draft picks to use in a potential trade up in the 2027 NFL Draft to select a signal-caller.
So with that all in mind, let’s focus on the rest of 2026. What does the offense need to do going forward after keeping their group the exact same? For starters, spend more time under center. The Steelers are the 10th-best offense in terms of EPA since Week 4 when they go under center. Additionally, keep trotting out heavier personnel. Over that same time span, Pittsburgh is the best team in the NFL when they have three tight ends on the field. Bully ball is working. They need to lean into it more rather than try to make a largely ineffective passing game the star of the show.
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There are plenty of things we can be hard on the Steelers’ front office and ownership for. The trade and extension for DK Metcalf, then following that up with trading away George Pickens. The handling of the Joey Porter Jr contract (although, right now they look like they are actually coming out as the victors in that situation), the lack of long-term answer at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired – all are fair to point at and ridicule. Not making a huge move at the trade deadline where there were no huge moves to make? There’s no need for pitchforks here.
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