The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to return from their bye week in Week 10, but first, they have some business to conduct ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. With a 6-2 record, the Steelers are sitting atop the AFC North division, but with the Cincinnati Bengals right on their tail, they have some serious work to do if they want to hang onto the top spot.
Pittsburgh has several areas of need across its roster, but rumors have continued to suggest that it is looking for help at the wide receiver position ahead of the deadline. While the Steelers have been mentioned as a suitor for several of the top players available at this spot, one insider recently linked them to a more realistic target in Tennessee Titans veteran Calvin Ridley.
Steelers Linked to Calvin Ridley Trade
The Steelers consolidated their passing attack over the offseason, with the hope being that DK Metcalf and the newly acquired Michael Pittman Jr. could form a top-tier duo. Instead, Pittman has missed most of the season due to injuries, while Metcalf has struggled to consistently get on the same page with Aaron Rodgers.
Young guns like Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard have shown flashes of potential, but when accounting for Metcalf’s woes, Pittsburgh doesn’t really have a No. 1 wide receiver right now. They could break the bank on a guy like Brian Thomas Jr. or Josh Downs, but it seems like the team is hoping Metcalf can get going, and that Pittman can eventually get himself back on the field.
The former All-Pro Ridley could be the guy that makes the most sense for the Steelers from a financial perspective, as he has been a complete afterthought for the Titans this year (he has just six catches for 91 yards in seven games). While Ridley has a new off-field issue involving a dispute with a valet attendant, he is still viewed as a potential trade candidate, with NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN saying Pittsburgh could make sense as a landing spot for him.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers have been on the periphery. They’ve been looking for receiver help,” Fowler said on “The Aftermath.” “They don’t want to give up a lot of draft capital. It could be maybe a move for a late-round pick. Calvin Ridley in Tennessee would make sense in that regard.
Ridley isn’t necessarily the star he once was, but he still has the talent to be a secondary wide receiver in a high-functioning passing attack. The problem is that he just does not fit the rebuilding Titans’ timeline. With the team opting to use younger options across the board, Ridley is getting little to no use in the passing attack.
With more off-field drama surrounding him, Tennessee would probably take anything it could get for Ridley, so if Pittsburgh doesn’t want to give up a ton for a guy like Thomas or Downs, this could be the more cost-effective option. It remains to be seen if the Steelers would actually give up anything in exchange for Ridley, but for a sixth- or seventh-round pick, he could be worth taking a flier on for the second half of the season.
Steelers Linked to Trade for Overlooked All-Pro Wide Receiver