The trade deadline is inching closer, and the Steelers may have a real opening if they want to make a move. Pittsburgh is sitting at 4-2 ahead of its trip to face the New Orleans Saints in Paris, France, and while that record looks solid on paper, there are plenty of teams around the league already drifting toward seller mode.
That matters for Omar Khan. If the Steelers do anything at the deadline, they figure to be buyers, and these are the kinds of teams that could hand them opportunities.
The Los Angeles Chargers are the most shocking name on the list. At 0-6, they have the worst record in the NFL entering Week 7, and nothing about this start has lined up with preseason expectations for a team with Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert, and Mike McDaniel.
Instead, the Chargers are in a hole so deep they’d basically need perfection the rest of the way just to have a shot at the playoffs. That kind of collapse could lead to sweeping changes, with the possibility of a new front office and coaching overhaul.
If that happens, Pittsburgh should be ready to ask about Ladd McConkey. The Steelers could also check on Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, or Elijah Molden.
Miami is another club that could be ripe for dealing. The Dolphins are 0-5, but unlike some teams, this one seemed built to go this way from the start.
They moved off bad contracts and traded Jaylen Waddle for a first-round pick with the idea of tanking the season. Now that the record matches the plan, the Dolphins could be even more willing to move pieces before the deadline.
Pittsburgh could use help at receiver, and Malik Washington and Caleb Douglas are the names that make sense as possible trade chips who could help now and possibly beyond 2026.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already surfaced in Steelers trade chatter because of Chris Godwin. He’s not the same player he once was, but the fit is easy to understand.
Tampa Bay is 1-5, though the next two weeks give them a chance to claw back into the NFC South race with divisional games against the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons. If they stumble in either one, the path toward selling gets much clearer, and Pittsburgh could be back in the mix.
Then there’s Tennessee, where the season has gone sideways in a hurry. The Titans are 1-5, Cam Ward’s debut season has been rough, and the offense ranks 31st in EPA, according to RBSDM Stats.
The roster isn’t loaded with obvious deadline prizes, but one name stands out: veteran safety Amani Hooker. He’s been having an excellent season, and that alone should put him on Pittsburgh’s radar.
In Other News...
Steelers Fans Just Got Painful Validation On George Pickens
George Pickens has a familiar kind of spotlight on him again, and this time it comes with a direct public critique from Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer after Week 6. Schottenheimer took aim at Pickens effort as both a receiver and a run-game participant, a familiar complaint for anyone who watched his last chapter in Pittsburgh, where the talent was never really in question but the consistency and engagement sometimes were.
For Steelers fans, the validation stings because it points back to a theme they know well from Pickens time here: the flashes were obvious, but so were the stretches that left everyone wanting more. Pittsburgh saw enough of those uneven days to understand why the discussion keeps circling back to effort, and Schottenheimers public comments only reopen the question of whether the same issues will keep following Pickens wherever he goes. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Backfield Suddenly Puts More On Jaylen Warren In Paris
The Steelers headed into the week with a healthier look on one side of the ball, as T.J. Watt was back at full practice after initially popping up with a calf issue. His return is a good sign for Pittsburghs defense, especially with the game shifting to Paris and the team trying to settle in for a strange week of preparation overseas.
The bigger offensive wrinkle is in the backfield, where Rico Dowdle is listed as questionable because of a knee injury after already missing time with a toe issue. If he cannot go or is only part of the plan, the burden figures to land on Jaylen Warren, who would be asked to handle a much larger share of the work than usual in a game that could demand a lot from Pittsburghs run game. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Paris Trip Just Raised A New Concern Before Saints Game
The Steelers first trip to Paris was supposed to give them a little extra time to settle in before their Week 7 meeting with the Saints, but the weather has already complicated that plan. Pittsburgh was scheduled to arrive Thursday and use Friday for its only on-site practice at Stade de France, a chance to get comfortable in a new setting before game day and work through the usual details that come with an international trip.
Instead, the preparation took a hit when the team had to scrap that Friday session because of rain and wind. The forecast for Sunday is hardly kinder, with breezy conditions expected and the possibility of rain earlier in the day, which adds another layer of uncertainty to an already unusual week for a Steelers team playing its third regular-season international game and doing so with a head coach who has never handled one before. [Read more 🡒]