Through four weeks, the Steelers’ problems have stacked up fast. The offensive line hasn’t taken the step many expected, the linebackers have fallen off a cliff, and the secondary has become a mess after the Joey Porter Jr. trade.
But the biggest frustration might be the one that was supposed to be fixed: the receiver room.
Pittsburgh spent another offseason trying to rebuild that group, and so far it has gone nowhere. There’s been the occasional splash play, but nobody is consistently creating separation.
Aaron Rodgers hasn’t helped matters either, failing to capitalize when receivers do get open. The Steelers need more big-play juice, and they need it badly.
DK Metcalf has struggled. Roman Wilson has been up and down.
Germie Bernard hasn’t really been given a real chance to matter. Michael Pittman Jr. has been almost invisible in this offense.
That leaves Pittsburgh searching for answers, and there are a few names that could make sense - including some that might not cost a premium price.
Quentin Johnston is one of the more intriguing possibilities. He hasn’t become the star many expected when he was taken in the early first round, but he has settled in as a solid secondary option who can still threaten deep. Over the past two seasons, he topped 700 receiving yards and scored eight touchdowns in each year.
This season, though, he has been pushed to the margins. In Mike McDaniel’s offense, Johnston has been an afterthought, catching just seven passes for a little more than 100 yards through four games. The Chargers have struggled across the board, and a roster shakeup after this year seems possible.
That makes Johnston look like a player who may not be in their long-term plans. His fifth-year option has already been picked up, but the contract would still be manageable if Pittsburgh wanted to keep him beyond this season. He needs a fresh start, and the Steelers could use the spark.
Tyreek Hill is another name that jumps off the page. He’s finally starting to get healthy, and for a Steelers receiver group that can’t separate, can’t create after the catch, and can’t consistently win deep, Hill brings obvious appeal.
Age will naturally chip away at some of his speed and explosiveness, but he still has enough left to matter in a big way. He can line up anywhere and hurt defenses in multiple ways.
The catch is that he hasn’t played in a while, so he would need time to ramp up and get back into game shape. If he gets there, he could be a strong complementary piece for this offense. The bonus: he wouldn’t cost a draft pick.
There is real risk here. Hill might never fully return to the form he had before the injury. But with the way Pittsburgh’s receivers have performed, this is the kind of swing they may need to take.
Brian Thomas Jr. might be the strangest case of all. He burst onto the scene as a rookie and quickly looked like a dynamic threat, even drawing Rookie of the Year buzz. Then Liam Coen took over, and the connection between Thomas and the offense seemed to disappear.
Now he’s barely a factor, with just nine catches through the first four games. He isn’t being used deep anymore, and Parker Washington appears to have passed him on the depth chart.
Like Johnston, Thomas feels stuck in a situation where he has become an afterthought. A move to Pittsburgh could change that.
The quarterback play would have to improve, but Thomas could help drive that improvement too. He would likely get plenty of chances in this offense and could give Metcalf a dangerous second option.
He’s also only entering his third year, which gives a team at least two seasons to sort out what it has. If he works out, the fifth-year option gives even more control.
There’s risk with Thomas as well, but among available receivers, he stands in a class of his own. For a Steelers team desperate to jumpstart its passing game, it would make sense to ask about him.
In Other News...
WVU Faces A Brutal Home Test In First Big 12 Win Bid
West Virginia heads into a difficult home matchup with Arizona still searching for its first Big 12 win, and the timing could hardly be trickier. The Mountaineers are trying to navigate the league grind while dealing with a trimmed offensive group, which only raises the pressure on a team that needs cleaner execution and more balance to keep pace.
Arizona brings a lot more than just a capable passing game into Morgantown. With Noah Fifita directing an offense that has shown it can move in multiple ways, the Wildcats arrive with a clear edge in firepower, even if there are paths for West Virginia to make it interesting at home. The bigger question is whether the Mountaineers can turn a tough spot into a breakout league moment before the schedule starts to really tighten. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Defense Gets A Break But Still Faces A Real Test
West Virginias defense could use a little relief after a rough stretch, and Arizonas injury report offers some of it. The Wildcats are set to come in without leading receiver Tre Spivey, along with Giovanni Richardson, Chris Hunter III, Cole Rusk and running back Ismail Mahdi, a depleted group that changes the shape of their offense and trims some of the pressure on the Mountaineers secondary and front.
Noah Fifita, though, still gives Arizona a dangerous focal point. Even with the missing weapons, the quarterback is expected to keep steering the passing game, which means West Virginia cannot treat this like a soft landing spot after its recent defensive struggles. The Mountaineers may get a break in terms of personnel, but they still have to prove they can handle a competent passing attack and avoid another night of chasing plays. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Defense Just Got Called Out Before Arizona Test
West Virginias defensive issues have become impossible to ignore as the Mountaineers head into this weeks matchup with Arizona, and coordinator Zac Alley did not sugarcoat where things stand. The unit has been beaten for plenty of yardage and points during the season, leaving the defense searching for answers at a point when every possession matters even more.
The challenge only gets sharper against an Arizona team that has been sturdy against the run, which puts a spotlight on West Virginias ground game and whether it can help keep the pressure off a defense trying to stop the bleeding. For the Mountaineers, the game is about more than one matchup on paper. It is also a chance to see whether the frustration Alley voiced can turn into a response on the field. [Read more 🡒]