Even after bringing in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have a wide receiver problem staring them in the face.
That’s why the conversation around the team has shifted toward the trade market, where Pittsburgh could use one of its Day 3 draft picks to plug a hole before the NFL Trade Deadline. The Steelers have kept their bigger assets intact as they look ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, which makes those later picks the kind of currency they may be willing to spend.
If the front office believes the top of the receiver depth chart is set, the real need becomes finding a dependable No. 3 or No. 4 option. Kendrick Bourne fits that kind of role.
The 31-year-old Arizona Cardinals receiver has played in 133 games and caught 351 passes in his career, and he’s been productive so far in 2026 with 22 catches on 31 targets for 225 yards. Those numbers are close to what rookie Germie Bernard has produced, which is part of why Bourne makes sense as a short-term fix.
He also doesn’t demand the kind of target share that comes with a featured role, so he could step in for a stretch and then slide down the ladder as the room gets healthier. The one downside is the one thing Pittsburgh may still want more of: pure speed. With Bernard and DK Metcalf already giving the Steelers yards-after-the-catch ability, Bourne doesn’t really change the profile of the group as a vertical threat.
A more direct answer could come from the Philadelphia Eagles, who are in firesale mode and have several offensive players available. Dontayvion Wicks stands out as the cleanest fit if his recent injury scare proves minor. He’s been used as a deep-ball option on the outside throughout his four-year career, and he’s having a strong season despite the Eagles’ struggles, with 19 receptions for 284 yards and a touchdown in six games.
Before the season, Philadelphia paid a fifth and a seventh for Wicks, but the sense here is that they’d move him for any return they can get. He lines up wide most of the time, can work from the slot if needed, and is under contract through 2027 with a $4 million cap hit next year. For Pittsburgh, that checks a lot of boxes.
If Omar Khan wants to act quickly, Wicks is the one that looks easiest to justify.
Then there’s Quentin Johnston, who offers the kind of physical profile the Steelers could use. The Los Angeles Chargers receiver, a former first-round pick in 2023, has already posted multiple 700-yard seasons and brings size at 6-foot-3 and nearly 220 pounds. He can work outside, move in motion, and attack the top of the coverage.
But Johnston comes with the same warning label that shadows so many trade targets: injuries. Pittsburgh already has two receivers on Injured Reserve and another missing time, so taking on another player with durability concerns would be a risk.
If healthy, he may be the best stylistic match on the board. The question is whether the Steelers can afford to make another gamble.
In Other News...
Steelers Secondary Is Making The Joey Porter Trade Harder To Judge
The Steelers decision to deal Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas on Oct. 1 already looked like the kind of move that would take some time to properly judge, and three games later the coverage numbers from the cornerback room have only complicated the picture. Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette have helped hold up well on the back end, giving Pittsburgh enough early evidence to suggest the position has not fallen apart without Porter.
Still, the stretch that produced those encouraging results came against a softer run of opposing quarterbacks, and that matters when trying to measure how much the trade really changed the defense. The Steelers have a tougher evaluation ahead, and if the schedule starts asking more of those corners, Porters absence could become a far bigger talking point than it has been so far. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Face One Risky WR Decision As Trade Deadline Nears
The Steelers have already started shoring up their receiver depth by adding veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad, and he is expected to move onto the active roster. It is the kind of move that suggests Pittsburgh is looking for steadier answers around its passing game as the trade deadline approaches, especially with the front office continuing to weigh how aggressive it wants to be in upgrading the position.
Chris Godwins name has come up in some outside speculation, but the fit looks awkward on paper for Pittsburgh. His contract would be a major commitment, and the injury concerns attached to him make the idea even harder to justify for a team that needs reliability as much as upside. For now, the Steelers appear more likely to lean on the additions already in house than chase a costly swing that would carry plenty of risk. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Ramseys Steelers Debut Ended With A Statement Fans Loved
Jalen Ramseys first big night in a Steelers uniform gave Pittsburgh exactly the kind of edge it had hoped for when it brought him in. In the overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ramsey was everywhere, finishing with 10 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks while showing the kind of impact that can change the feel of a defense in a hurry.
The NFL noticed, too, naming Ramsey AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the performance, his third career weekly honor in the conference. For the Steelers, it was more than just a splash debut and more than a headline-grabbing stat line, because the way Ramsey finished the game only sharpened the sense that he can be a difference-maker when the moment gets tight. [Read more 🡒]