Steelers Player Makes Recruiting Pitch to Free Agent WR
Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott is on the recruiting trail once again. He messaged recently released Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk on Instagram, “you’re now a steeler.” Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen replied to Elliott’s comment with exclamation points.
Elliott, who’s very active on social media, tried to recruit Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey to the Steelers last November. Humprhey is an All-Pro cornerback with Baltimore, so that’s a far-fetched idea. Kirk is a realistic option for the Steelers, however.
The Steelers have been linked to Kirk in the past, and now with him being a free agent, Pittsburgh could pounce on the opportunity to scoop up the veteran wideout.
The Steelers were reportedly nearing a deal for Kirk in October, near the trade deadline. Kirk suffered a season-ending collarbone injury Oct. 27, thus blowing up those plans.
Releasing Kirk will save the Jaguars over $10.4 million against the salary cap.
Kirk has been quite productive in the past, his best season coming in 2022 when he went for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns on 84 receptions. The Steelers are in desperate need of a wide receiver to pair with George Pickens, and Kirk could be the answer. Aside from Pickens in 2024, the only receiver to eclipse 300 yards was Calvin Austin, who had 548.
The Steelers do have other trade options. The team has been linked to Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams and Davante Adams, who was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday. Tyler Lockett, Darius Slayton, Chris Godwin and Amari Cooper are also free agent wide receivers.
The team could also look to the draft, where Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, Texas’ Matthew Golden and Missouri’s Luther Burden III could be available when the Steelers pick at No. 21.