Despite expressing interest in trading for a star wide receiver this offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan hasn’t been able to strike a deal.
That doesn’t mean Khan doesn’t have something up his sleeve. NFL insider Jason La Canfora thinks a trade is coming down the pike.
“I’m pretty bullish on the Steelers. They’re going to add a receiver at some point between now and until the trade deadline. That’s going to happen. They’ve budgeted for it. They’ve been trying to make it happen. I’d be stunned if it doesn’t [happen],” La Canfora said on the In The Huddle podcast.
The Steelers have expressed interest in trading for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk this offseson, but their initial efforts were rebuffed, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. They also reportedly kicked the tires on 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, but they couldn’t meet in the middle on a trade.
“For what it’s worth, I’m told the Steelers had interest in trading for Deebo Samuel but were unwilling to meet the 49ers’ price…,” Micheal Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote on X in April during the NFL Draft.
Silver stated last week during an appearance on KNBR that the 49ers have an offer for Aiyuk, which is around $26 million annually to the star wide receiver.
“I’m hearing maybe their offer’s in the $26 million range, which, you know, it’s certainly not just Justin Jefferson money, nor should it be, but it’s closer to the DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, that next tier down. They, I think, believe that he’s a really good player, who they’ve developed and they would like to have. And they think he’s one of the better receivers in the league, kind of on that next tier, obviously,” Silver said.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is another possible trade candidate for Pittsburgh. In an interview with DNVR in Denver, Sutton said that he plans to attend the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp next week, ending his holdout for a raise on his contract.
George Pickens is the Steelers’ bona fide No. 1 wide receiver, but they need a No. 2 WR to take some pressure off of him. Perhaps Roman Wilson can step up and fill that role, but there’s no guarantees with a rookie.
Khan has made it clear that he wants to put the Steelers in the best position to win a Super Bowl. Making a blockbuster trade at wide receiver certainly would help that cause.