Breaking: The Steelers Secret Target, ESPN Report Reveals…
The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering their bye week in Week 9, which is good for the organization since it can focus on the NFL’s trade deadline which lands on Tuesday, November 5th. The Steelers have certainly surpassed their preseason expectations as they are sitting atop the AFC North with a record of 6-2, but General Manager Omar Khan would like to add to the roster to set his team up for success in the second half of the season.
It’s no secret that Khan and the Steelers have been trying to add at the wide receiver position. The general manager was in talks to acquire Brandon Aiyuk during training camp, and made an attempt during the season to land Davante Adams. Obviously neither of those options panned out for Pittsburgh, but Khan is still working the phones.
NFL insider Adam Schefter reported earlier on Saturday that the Steelers were close to finalizing a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to land veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk. Kirk broke his collarbone during Jacksonville’s game in Week 8 which essentially took him off of the trade market. During that same article, Schefter spoke about other wide receivers the Steelers have shown interest in.
The Steelers have been making calls and checking on any and all available wide receivers before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, including the Jets’ Mike Williams and the Panthers’ Adam Thielen, according to league sources.” Schefter wrote.
Mike Williams was a name that seemed available after the New York Jets acquired Adams, but the Jets don’t seem like they will be moving on from the veteran wide receiver, at least not at a reasonable price. Allen Lazard was placed on Injured Reserve last week which has made New York a bit thin at receiver, which means Adam Thielen is the more-likely option for Pittsburgh.
Thielen is a receiver who has been able to produce every where he has been, which even includes the pitiful Carolina Panthers. The veteran spent his first nine seasons with the Minnesota Vikings where he was elected to two Pro-Bowls. During his time with the Vikings, Thielen played in 135 games and caught 534 passes for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns. He has been one of the most productive receivers in the league since entering the NFL back in 2014.
The receiver signed with Carolina ahead of the 2023 season, and he had a successful year while playing with a rookie quarterback in Bryce Young. In 2023 he caught 103 passes for over 1,000 yards and four touchdowns, this production came while playing with one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. Young was benched just two games into the 2024 season.
Thielen has only played in three games in 2024 and has caught eight passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. He has been banged up, but his recent absence also implies the team’s desire to move on from the veteran.
