The Steelers are sitting at 6-2 at their bye week, and that should make this trade deadline feel like a moment to push chips in. Instead, there’s a real chance Pittsburgh does very little - or nothing at all.
Wide receiver remains the obvious place to look. DK Metcalf continues to show he’s a mess this year, while Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman Jr. are still working back from injury. The depth chart could use another body, and the deadline has arrived with the Steelers once again talking like a win-now team without always acting like one.
That disconnect has become familiar. Year after year, Pittsburgh says it wants to contend, but when the deadline comes around, it has often stopped short of adding the kind of impact player that could change the offense. General manager Omar Khan has been cautious with draft capital, and there’s little reason to assume he’ll suddenly loosen up now.
Still, the possibility of a small move - or no move at all - is very much on the table. If trade prices are too steep, Marquez Valdes-Scantling could end up being the answer by default.
He’s on the practice squad, and the Steelers already went down that road last season. Both Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy know the veteran well, which could matter here.
Valdes-Scantling cannot be the answer, but he might have to be.
That would say plenty about how the organization views this roster. If Pittsburgh truly believes it can get into the playoffs and make noise once it’s there, then it needs to act like it. Otherwise, the offense could be left leaning on Brandon Smith and Valdes-Scantling until Wilson and Pittman return.
And if the Steelers stand pat while other AFC teams strengthen around them, they could be setting themselves up for the same old ending: a playoff berth, then a quick exit. That’s the kind of outcome this team should be trying to leave behind.
For Khan, this is the best position his teams have been in since he took over as general manager. If this roster isn’t worth investing in now, it’s fair to wonder when it ever will be. Pittsburgh wants a playoff win badly, but without a trade or two, this group may be asking a lot of a thin offense.
In Other News...
Steelers Trade Chatter Now Involves A Veteran Defender
The Steelers inside linebacker group has been one of the steadier parts of the roster this season, but the trade market may still bring a surprise before the NFLs Nov. 10 deadline. According to Sports Illustrateds Albert Breer, Pittsburgh is at least considering moving a veteran defender who has had only a limited role this year after joining the team in 2023.
The name in the chatter is Cole Holcomb, whose Steelers tenure has already been shaped by a lost 2024 season because of a knee injury. Even with the position playing well, the possibility of shifting a veteran with experience in the room suggests Pittsburgh is still weighing how to balance depth, health and future roster flexibility as deadline season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Huge AFC North Test After Steelers Bye Week
The Steelers head into their bye week with a little momentum after a 27-6 win over the Browns on Nov. 1, a game that showcased both sides of the ball in a way Mike Tomlins team will want to carry forward. Jaylen Warren powered the offense with 143 rushing yards and a touchdown, while the defense piled up eight sacks and forced two turnovers in one of Pittsburghs most complete outings of the season.
When the Steelers return, the schedule tightens quickly with an AFC North trip that always comes with extra weight. Pittsburgh will be back in prime time on Nov. 15 at Paycor Stadium, where the matchup with Cincinnati arrives as an early measuring stick for a team trying to keep its footing in a division that rarely gives anyone much breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Trade Buzz Puts Two Roster Needs Front And Center
The Steelers are already being linked to the kind of trade chatter that tends to follow a team with clear roster questions and enough season left for the front office to keep its options open. Ahead of the 2027 NFL trade deadline, Pittsburgh has been mentioned in speculative talks around wide receivers and defensive backs, a sign that the club is at least surveying ways to strengthen both sides of the ball if the right deal surfaces.
Among the names floating around are Josh Downs, Hollywood Brown, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston at receiver, along with Riq Woolen, Donte Jackson, Cam Hart and Amani Hooker in the secondary. Nothing has been confirmed, and for now it is all about possibility rather than movement, but the variety of targets suggests the Steelers are keeping a close eye on more than one path as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]