If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to add to their receiving depth, they’ll have to do so with someone other than veteran Jakobi Meyers.
The Steelers were linked to the wideout in multiple reports, but they’ll have to turn to Plan B after the Las Vegas Raiders reportedly traded Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to multiple reports. The Jaguars, who lost first-round pick Travis Hunter to an injury recently, are reportedly sending a fourth- and sixth-round pick to the Raiders to complete the trade.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the agreement.
Steelers Miss Out on Reported Trade Target Jakobi Meyers
The reported deal comes just a couple of days after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported the Steelers and Buffalo Bills had expressed interest in trading for the 28-year-old receiver. Additionally, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler predicted a week before the deadline that Pittsburgh would win the Meyers sweepstakes, despite a reportedly high asking price.
That high price ultimately might have been too much for Pittsburgh. Meyers, a former 1,000-yard receiver, is a weapon, especially in the short and intermediate passing games. He’s a tough player who is a solid route-runner and likely would have been a nice weapon for Aaron Rodgers to utilize in the Steelers’ offense.
That said, he very likely could have been a rental. Meyers is in the final year of his contract, and after extension talks stalled with the Raiders, he requested a trade at the start of the season. Meyers recently doubled down on that request, seemingly removing some of the Raiders’ leverage.
That Las Vegas, which is going nowhere this season, could get a fourth-round pick out of the Jaguars is a good piece of business. It helped that Jacksonville had two fourth-rounders and could part with one. The Jaguars, as Schefter noted, had 13 picks in next year’s draft, which made it easier to swing this sort of deal.
Other Receiver Options for Steelers After Meyers Trade
From a Steelers standpoint, it’s also notable that it was the Jaguars who were the team to pry Meyers out of Las Vegas. Both teams enter Week 10 with 5-3 records, and Pittsburgh’s lead in the AFC North might not be as solid as it appears with Baltimore finding its footing. It’s certainly possible that the Steelers and Jaguars are battling for a wild-card spot in December and January.
It will be fascinating to see if the Steelers feel the need to pivot and still add a veteran receiver. One name that has come up, perhaps more as wishful thinking than anything else, is Miami standout Jaylen Waddle. The former first-round pick still seems unlikely to be traded, but the Dolphins firing general manager Chris Grier last week might have increased the possibility of it happening. The Dolphins, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, would need a deal that “blows them away” if they’re going to move the talented receiver.
Another name to watch is New Orleans Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed. He’s a much different type of player than Meyers as a deep-threat wideout, who could take a top off the defense. There has also been speculation that Titans receiver Calvin Ridley could also be on the move, but he’s a high-priced player who would require even more financial investment.
Steelers Lose Reported Trade Target After Raiders-Jaguars Swap