New Steelers Rumors Reveal WRs Targeted in 'Aggressive' Pursuit Before NFL Trade Deadline

The Pittsburgh Steelers poked around the trade market for wide receivers but ultimately didn't pull the trigger ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette :

According to Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports, the Steelers had talks with the Jacksonville Jaguars regarding Brian Thomas Jr. and the Tennessee Titans for Calvin Ridley.

Per that report, "The Steelers were most aggressive in pursuing Thomas and believed a deal was possible, but the Jaguars wound up deciding to not trade him at all. The Jaguars did not want to trade Thomas to another AFC opponent, especially one that's on the schedule in a few weeks. The Steelers also pursued Ridley, but his altercation with a valet driver at Nashville International Airport over the weekend impacted those negotiations, as well."

The Steelers also reportedly "checked in" on Josh Downs but "did not aggressively pursue a trade" before the Indianapolis Colts dealt him to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Remaining stagnant on Tuesday will likely irk quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers have been pretty ho-hum in the passing game this season, ranking 19th in yardage (210.5 YPG) and tied for 15th in passing scores (13).

And the connection between Rodgers and DK Metcalf hasn't meaningfully evolved across two seasons. Last year, Metcalf caught 59 passes for 850 yards and six touchdowns. This season he's pulled in 33 catches for 378 yards and a score, a 17-game pace of 70 catches for 803 yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie Germie Bernard has flashed at times and Rodgers has plenty of underneath options in tight ends Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth. But the Steelers aren't scaring too many defenses over the top.

What they are doing well is running the football and playing defense. Jaylen Warren (704 yards, two touchdowns on the ground; 25 catches for 294 yards and another score in the passing game), while the defense is giving up just 18 points per game (tied for fourth in the NFL).

But it's fair to wonder if a lack of dynamic playmakers at receiver will ultimately cap their upside.

Of course, there's no guarantee that either Thomas or Ridley would have been true game-changers in Pittsburgh. The former has continued to be an absolute afterthought in Jacksonville, following up a disappointing 2025 season with just 10 catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns this year. Perhaps a change of scenery is needed, but Thomas hasn't put out great tape for two seasons now.

Meanwhile, Ridley has appeared in just 14 games over the past two seasons and only managed 23 catches for 394 yards during that time. The 31-year-old's best football appears to be behind him.