Justin Fields may be looming in the background, but it’s clear the Pittsburgh Steelers are putting all of their eggs in the Russell Wilson basket this coming season.
While the Steelers are a model of consistency, simply being a fringe-playoff team isn’t good enough for Pittsburgh’s loyal fan base.
Will Wilson get them over the hump and make them true Super Bowl contenders? … Maybe. Maybe not. (Probably not.)
Regardless, former Steeler turned NFL analyst Bryant McFadden caused a stir when he revealed on social media that the Steelers could soon be closing in on a significant trade.
“Ooooh, Omar is working. The Steelers are very close to landing a significant playmaker.” McFadden posted on X.
While not diving into specifics, fans were left to speculate about who the impactful playmaker could be…
It’s no secret that San Francisco 49ers stars Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are both available for the right price.
As a matter of fact, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky further fueled speculation by pinpointing Samuel as the target for Pittsburgh.
With the majority of the focus being on Aiyuk and his unhappiness with his contract situation, it was recently revealed the John Lynch and the Niners are more likely to trade Samuel than Aiyuk.
Aiyuk and Samuel aren’t the only two explosive weapons available on the trade market.
According to reports, Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton can also be had for the right price.
In many ways, Sean Payton is still cleaning house in Denver, and he figures to not lose much sleep if he can ship the unhappy Sutton out of town in exchange for a favorable package in return.
Wilson’s tenure in Denver was an absolute disaster. One of the biggest disasters in NFL history if we’re being honest.
Having said that, he does have an established chemistry with Sutton and the two could very well pair back up in Pittsburgh.
Addressing the mounting speculation, Steelers general Manager Omar Khan confirmed the team’s openness to enhancing their roster through the trade market.
“We’ll see. Like I’ve said, if there’s ever an opportunity to improve the team, we’ll look at it and if it makes sense, we’re going to go after it,” Khan recently said.
“But yeah, we restructured Alex’s (Highsmith) contract, and it puts us in a position to be flexible with some things if there’s an opportunity to do something.”
The Steelers pursuit of a marquee wide receiver comes on the heels of a draft where they only selected one receiver, Roman Wilson, in the third round.
As Khan mentioned, Pittsburgh strategically restructured linebacker Alex Highsmith’s contract, freeing up an additional $7 million in cap space.
With trades being more common than ever in the NFL, perhaps McFadden is onto something…
What are your thoughts on McFadden’s report?
Do you think the Steelers are indeed nearing a deal for a playmaker?
Assuming Davante Adams is off the table, would you rather have Aiyuk, Samuel or Sutton???