Former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley thinks Pittsburgh still has enough to matter in the AFC. He just doesn’t think the trade deadline did the roster any favors.
The Steelers sat at 6-2 heading into Tuesday’s deadline, and the need was obvious: another offensive weapon for Aaron Rodgers. Instead, Pittsburgh stayed quiet and made no additions.
“I don’t like to disrupt the chemistry of the team and things like that, but this year, I really thought this would be the time,” Haley told 93.7 The Fan. “I think the Steelers are very, very close, but they’re a receiver, skill guy away, in my opinion.”
Haley’s point was less about the regular season and more about what happens when the competition tightens up. Pittsburgh ranks 21st in offensive expected points added per play against man coverage, and that’s exactly the kind of spot where a proven one-on-one threat could have changed the conversation for Rodgers.
“It just feels like, now, even if we have a good team and make it to the playoffs, it’s kind of gonna be the same thing,” Haley said. “When you start to go against the big boys, you’re gonna be a little shorthanded.”
He also used Jacksonville as the example of a team that chose urgency over caution. The Jaguars were active before the deadline, landing safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Jordan Davis in a series of moves that cost them draft capital but strengthened their defense right away.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ trades today: 🏈Traded a 2nd and 5th to the Falcons for S Jessie Bates. 🏈Traded a 1st and 2nd to the Eagles for DT Jordan Davis. 🏈Traded a 6th to the Saints for DT Davon Godchaux.
“I think the really bitter thing, to me, is to see Jacksonville go out and do the things they did specifically, when they’re already a good team to say, ‘We got the quarterback. Let’s do it,’” Haley said.
That message lands harder because Rodgers is in Pittsburgh on a short-term clock. Haley made it clear he believes the Steelers should be acting like a team with a narrow window, not one trying to protect future picks for some later date.
“The Steelers are playing with Aaron Rodgers. They believe he’s the quarterback.
Now, what happens after this year does not really matter, I don’t think, in this day and age,” Haley said. “There are ways to regroup and figure things out.
It’s not the old days of where you build completely through the draft. You better add the talent you need.”
Pittsburgh’s quiet deadline doesn’t shut the door on a playoff push. But it does leave Rodgers and the current group carrying more of the load if the Steelers are going to keep pace when the level of competition rises.
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What makes the situation tricky is that the Steelers may not need to force anything if the roster starts to heal in time. The team is waiting to see whether injured players can return soon enough to soften the urgency at receiver, and that could end up being the deciding factor in whether Pittsburgh actually pushes a deal across the finish line or simply stays patient. For now, the deadline question is less about chasing a splash and more about whether the current group can be stabilized without paying a premium. [Read more 🡒]