The Steelers’ receiver room has run out of excuses.
Four weeks in, Pittsburgh has already seen enough problems stack up to make the offense feel thin in all the wrong places. The line hasn’t taken the step the team wanted, the linebackers have dropped off sharply, and the secondary is still a mess after the Joey Porter Jr. trade. But the lack of reliable wideout production keeps hanging over everything.
That’s especially true after another offseason spent trying to reshape the group. Instead of becoming a strength, the room has settled into the same old pattern: a splash play here, a quiet stretch there, and not nearly enough consistent separation.
Aaron Rodgers hasn’t exactly bailed them out when chances have come, either. Pittsburgh needs more juice, more explosive threats, and more players who can actually tilt a defense.
Right now, DK Metcalf has struggled, Roman Wilson has been inconsistent, Germie Bernard hasn’t really been given a real shot, and Michael Pittman Jr. has been a complete non-factor. So if the Steelers are going to make a move, there are a few names that could fit, including some that might not cost a premium price.
Quentin Johnston is one of them.
He hasn’t become the star many expected when he went in the first round, but he has still carved out a role as a capable second option who can threaten defenses vertically. Over the past two seasons, he put up more than 700 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in each year.
That production has dried up fast, though. In Mike McDaniel’s offense, he has become more of an afterthought, with just seven catches and a little over 100 yards through four games.
The Chargers are struggling across the board, and the sense is that a roster shakeup could be coming after the season. Johnston no longer feels like part of their long-term plan.
Even with his fifth-year option already picked up, the deal is still manageable if Pittsburgh wanted to keep him beyond this year. For a player who seems to need a fresh start, the Steelers make sense as a landing spot.
Tyreek Hill is a different kind of swing, but the fit is obvious.
If he’s getting healthy again, he brings exactly what Pittsburgh lacks: speed, after-the-catch juice, and a real deep threat who can line up anywhere. At this stage of his career, some of that explosion is naturally going to fade, but Hill still has enough in the tank to matter in a lot of ways.
The catch is obvious, too. He hasn’t played in a while, so he’d need time to ramp up and get back into game shape.
Still, he wouldn’t cost a draft pick. That matters.
There’s plenty of risk here, because there’s no guarantee he gets back to where he was before the injury. But for a Steelers passing game that has been so inefficient, taking a shot makes sense.
Brian Thomas Jr. might be the most intriguing name of the three.
He flashed immediately as a rookie and looked like a player who could work his way into Rookie of the Year conversations. Then Liam Coen took over, and the fit between Thomas and the offense seemed to unravel. Now he looks almost forgotten, with only nine catches through the first four games.
He’s not being used as a deep threat anymore, and Parker Washington has clearly passed him in the pecking order. Like Johnston, he seems stuck in a situation that no longer fits and could benefit from a change of scenery.
Pittsburgh could offer that. The quarterback play would have to improve, but Thomas could help bring that improvement with him.
He’d also give the Steelers a dangerous second option alongside Metcalf, and at just the start of his third year, there’s real runway here. The team would have at least two seasons to evaluate him, and if things click, the fifth-year option gives them even more control.
There’s always risk when a player has already stalled out once, but Thomas stands in a class of his own among receivers who could be available. If the Steelers are serious about fixing this offense, they’d be smart to ask about him.
In Other News...
LSU Gets A Reassuring Injury Report Before Kentucky Game
LSU heads into its SEC matchup with Kentucky carrying the same kind of availability report it was expected to have, with five Tigers ruled out and no late surprises attached to the list. For a team trying to keep its focus on the conference grind, the news matters less for who is missing than for the fact that the absences were anticipated well in advance, leaving the Tigers with a clearer read on how they will line up.
Kentuckys report is a little more layered, with five players out and a mix of questionable and probable tags that could still alter the depth chart by kickoff. The most encouraging sign for the Wildcats is that Jason Patterson and Aaron Gates are not on the injury report at all and are expected to be available, which gives Kentucky some stability as it tries to navigate a shorter margin for error in an SEC game that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Is Building An LSU Threat Ole Miss Can't Ignore
LSU is nearing the midpoint of its first season under Lane Kiffin, and the Tigers have already shown enough on defense to make the rest of the SEC pay attention. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has been among those encouraged by what LSU has done on that side of the ball, pointing to a pass rush and overall defensive profile that could keep the Tigers in the race for the SEC Championship as the schedule gets more demanding.
For a team with Kiffin now running the show, the early storyline has been a little different than the usual offensive fireworks associated with his name. LSUs defense has stood out so far, and that creates a different kind of threat for opponents, including Ole Miss, which knows the tougher stretch is still ahead for the Tigers. The real test now is whether that strong start holds up once LSU gets to the hardest part of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Heads Into Kentucky With Major Injury Questions On Both Sides
LSUs injury picture keeps evolving as the Tigers get ready for Kentucky, and the list of unavailable players already includes several significant season-ending losses. Wide receiver Phillip Wright III, safety Dashawn Spears and linebacker Charles Ross are all done for the year, forcing LSU to keep reshuffling pieces on both sides of the ball while trying to maintain its footing in the SEC race.
Tight end Trey'Dez Green adds another layer of uncertainty, with his recovery timeline still unclear even as there is some hope he could return sooner than expected. In the meantime, LSU has been leaning on replacements like safety Tamarcus Cooley and linebacker Davhon Keys, and how well those fill-in roles hold up could shape what the Tigers look like against Kentucky and beyond. [Read more 🡒]