The Steelers stayed quiet when the trade deadline turned chaotic, and that didn’t exactly send them into panic mode.
While a handful of contenders pushed chips in and chased upgrades, Pittsburgh watched from the sidelines. The team had been viewed as a possible buyer, especially at receiver, but it never pulled the trigger.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the Steelers discussed possible deals for Brian Thomas Jr., Calvin Ridley and Josh Downs, yet none of those talks turned into a move. The Jaguars and Titans kept Thomas and Ridley, while the Colts sent Downs to the Chiefs.
Aaron Rodgers didn’t sound rattled by the lack of action.
“I’ve learned to never hold my breath around a trade deadline because I don’t know that I’ve ever been part of a team, other than when we got Davante [Adams] in Jersey, where there was an addition.”
And when asked whether the Steelers have enough at receiver to make a postseason push, Rodgers kept it simple: “Yeah, but we gotta get healthy.”
That’s the reality for Pittsburgh right now. The Steelers didn’t make the splash some other teams did, but they also aren’t treating the deadline as a referendum on their season. They’re chasing something bigger: a playoff run in Rodgers’s final season before retirement, and a chance to finally break through after 10 years without a postseason win.
There’s a case to be made that the Steelers are built to make noise in the second half.
The defense has taken a major step under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, climbing from 20th last year to seventh this season in EPA per play, going from -0.01 to -0.12. It’s also moved from 17th to fourth in points allowed per game, dropping from 22.8 to 17.9. In yards allowed per game, Pittsburgh sits seventh at 305.6, its best mark in that category since 2020, when it ranked fourth.
The ground game has been a real weapon too. Jaylen Warren has powered a rushing attack that leads the league in yards per carry at 5.9 and ranks sixth in rushing yards with 704. The passing game has been less steady, with injuries to Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman Jr. creating some uneven stretches, but Rodgers has still been better for the Steelers than he was a season ago.
That improvement has not gone unnoticed. As Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said before Sunday’s Steelers-Bengals matchup, “This year I think he’s playing so well.
He really played great in the last game we played, dang near perfect. It made me feel like I had to be perfect the whole time too.
He’s done that for a long time.”
Burrow has been on a tear himself, throwing 16 touchdowns over his past four games and playing at an MVP level.
Sunday gives Pittsburgh a chance to answer all of it on the field. The Steelers will face Cincinnati for the second time this season, coming off their most complete performance of the year after a 27-6 win over the Browns before the bye. Now they return to the spotlight in prime time, with longtime coach Mike Tomlin set to be on-site as an NBC analyst for the reunion.
A sweep of the Bengals would do more than just add another win. It would strengthen Pittsburgh’s grip in the AFC North and help its playoff position at a time when the schedule starts to open up. After Cincinnati, the Steelers’ toughest remaining tests come against the Broncos and Jaguars.
And if they can’t keep pace with one of the league’s hottest offenses, the questions will linger. The Steelers may have survived the deadline without making a move, but they still have to prove they can finish the job.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Just Put Bengals Facility Criticism Back In The Spotlight
Joe Burrow and the Bengals are getting ready for a prime-time meeting with the Steelers on Sunday night after a win over the Falcons, but the conversation around the team has drifted well beyond the standings. Social media has again taken aim at Cincinnatis practice setup, with the cross-street walk to the field becoming the latest symbol of a facility issue that has followed the franchise for years.
Mike Brown has already made clear the team is not chasing anything new or flashy, and the Bengals new lease connected to the stadium renovation does not include an indoor practice facility. So while the focus on the field is on Pittsburgh, the backdrop around the team remains the same familiar debate, one that keeps resurfacing whenever the Bengals are in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Could Get Needed Secondary Help At The Perfect Time
The Bengals got a little more flexibility in the secondary this week when Jalen Davis 21-day practice window opened, and he wasted no time getting back on the field with a full practice in his first session back. With Cincinnati still sorting through its defensive back depth, the timing matters, especially with Josh Newton expected to be available as the backup quarterback against the Steelers.
There is also a bigger-picture reason this situation has some urgency. Cincinnati is already looking ahead to Washington next week, and the Commanders come in with the confidence of a Thursday Night Football win behind them. If Davis keeps progressing, the Bengals could be in position to add another experienced option at exactly the moment they need one most, even if the final decision on activation still hangs in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Finally Have A First Round Answer At Linebacker
A fresh mock draft from NBC Sports analyst Connor Rogers has the Bengals looking ahead to a possible first-round fix at linebacker, with Notre Dames Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa projected to land in Cincinnati in 2027. The appeal is easy to see: he brings a reputation for stout run defense, some pass-rushing juice and enough coverage ability to fit what teams want from a modern linebacker.
For a Bengals defense that has continued to search for a true long-term answer in the middle, the projection at least offers a name worth filing away. Viliamu-Asas talent is obvious, but so is the concern in his background, with two ACL injuries already part of the conversation around him, which is why any early draft buzz around him will come with plenty of caution attached. [Read more 🡒]