The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the wide receiver market, and this time the names getting tied to them are bigger than the usual deadline chatter.
Pittsburgh has been searching for help at the position for years, so the idea that the Steelers are looking again at the NFL trade deadline is hardly a shock. What is different this time is the caliber of player now being discussed. The Steelers have already been connected to Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs after the 25-year-old requested a trade, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Pittsburgh showed early interest and remains in the mix as the deadline approaches.
Now another receiver has entered the conversation. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Steelers are a team to watch for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., a former first-round pick whose status in Jacksonville is still unsettled.
"You have teams in the receiver market like the Kansas City Chiefs that need one, that I believe have multiple lines in the water as fas as receiver; the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking around," Fowler said on ESPN. "The Jaguars have not totally committed to trading Brian Thomas right now, but he's in and out of the lineup and would welcome a team most likely."
The asking price could matter here. Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported that Jacksonville is seeking a Day 2 draft pick in return for Thomas Jr. Pittsburgh does have some draft capital to work with, including two third-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft after acquiring one from the Dallas Cowboys in the Broderick Jones deal.
On paper, Thomas Jr. brings the kind of upside teams chase at the deadline. He put up more than 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, and at 24 years old he is still early in his career. He is in just his third season, with the 2027 season remaining on his rookie contract, and he could be eligible for a fifth-year option this upcoming offseason.
That kind of profile would make sense for a Steelers team trying to solve the position now and beyond this season. Pittsburgh has several starter-level receivers in DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard and Roman Wilson, but two of those players are on Injured Reserve, leaving the Steelers with a clear need to keep searching.
The catch is that Thomas Jr. has not looked like the same player this season. Since Liam Coen took over as head coach, Thomas Jr. has slipped out of the offense. He has only nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, and he has not made a reception since Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
That leaves Pittsburgh weighing a familiar kind of deadline gamble: whether a talented receiver is simply stuck in the wrong situation and could rebound with a fresh start. If Thomas Jr. becomes available, the Steelers look like one of the teams most likely to take that swing.
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