The Pittsburgh Steelers have opened the season in rough shape, and the issues are piling up fast. Joey Porter Jr. still hasn’t played after a summer of contract talks that never produced a long-term deal, and Pittsburgh has managed only 23 points through its first two games.
That backdrop has kept Porter in the trade conversation for weeks, but Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports took the idea a step further. In his scenario, the Steelers would not only move Porter - they’d also send DK Metcalf to the Detroit Lions in a package that includes a 2027 fourth-round pick. In return, Pittsburgh would get a first-round pick and wide receiver Jameson Williams.
“Let’s start with the Steelers getting their coveted first-round pick and the Lions getting Porter,” DeArdo writes. “There’s also the layer of the Lions getting draft compensation from Pittsburgh after giving them a first-round pick (the Steelers would probably offer a lower draft pick since they are trading the better receiver, at least on paper)… If Metcalf and the offense continue to struggle in the coming weeks, however, the Steelers should consider making such a move.
While it’s only been two games, it’s clear that the Steelers’ offense is way away from being a top-tier unit. If that continues to be the case, the Steelers should be willing to sacrifice some potential success this year, as it puts them in a better position down the road.“
It’s the kind of blockbuster idea that almost never gets real, but it’s also easy to see why it would catch Steelers fans’ attention. Williams would bring more speed to the offense, and the first-round pick could give Pittsburgh another path to a possible quarterback trade-up in the draft.
In Other News...
Steelers Barely Survived A Bengals Game That Made No Sense
The 1978 meeting with Cincinnati was the kind of mess that can still make a Steelers fan wince decades later, a game packed with turnovers, missed chances and almost no offensive rhythm. Pittsburgh escaped with a 7-6 win, but it was hardly a clean one, even with the season context pointing to a team that could absorb ugly stretches and keep moving toward its bigger goals.
Terry Bradshaw was blunt about his own day, acknowledging how poorly he played, while the Bengals had reasons to feel like they let one slip away. Ken Andersons side had enough chances to tilt the result, but the game kept refusing to make sense, with neither offense able to find much of a foothold. In a rivalry known for tension, this one stood out because the Steelers survived more than they won. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Face A Joey Porter Jr Decision That Could Change Everything
The Steelers are once again in the kind of roster conversation that can reshape a season before it truly gets going, with Joey Porter Jr. now at the center of a reported look at options. Cornerback is already one of the most watched spots on the roster, and any discussion involving Porter carries obvious weight because of what he means to Pittsburghs secondary and how much the team has invested in building around him.
One speculative scenario has Pittsburgh sending Porter, DK Metcalf and a 2027 fourth-round pick to Detroit for Jameson Williams and a 2027 first-round pick, a swap that would put plenty of moving parts in play for both sides. It is still just an idea, not an official move, but the fact that Porters name is even part of the conversation shows how aggressively the Steelers may be weighing long-term value against short-term stability. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Put Aaron Rodgers In An Uncomfortable Early Spotlight
The early weeks in Pittsburgh have already put Aaron Rodgers under a sharper lens than anyone around the Steelers probably wanted. With the NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 10, any stumble by the offense or the team as a whole can quickly turn every conversation about the quarterback into something bigger, especially when the front office has to weigh the long view against the reality of a season that can change fast.
Jaxson Darts season-ending surgery in New York only adds another layer to the backdrop, because the Giants have a quarterback situation to sort through and could remain in the mix if they stay competitive. For the Steelers, the uncomfortable part is obvious: Rodgers is not just a name attached to their present, but a player whose future could become part of the leagues trade chatter long before Pittsburgh is ready to talk about anything so drastic. [Read more 🡒]