The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t make an addition at the 2026 NFL trade deadline. But that doesn’t mean the team didn’t do its due diligence.
After Tuesday’s deadline, DK Pittsburgh Sports’s Chris Halicke reported the Steelers inquired about multiple receivers. Interestingly, though, Halicke wrote general manager Omar Khan was focused on two wideouts on the trade market — Brian Thomas Jr. and Calvin Ridley.
“The Steelers were most aggressive in pursuing Thomas and believed a deal was possible, but the Jaguars wound up deciding to not trade him at all,” wrote Halicke. “The Jaguars did not want to trade Thomas to another AFC opponent, especially one that’s on the schedule in a few weeks.
“The Steelers also pursued Ridley, but his altercation with a valet driver at Nashville International Airport over the weekend impacted those negotiations, as well.”
The Steelers beat writer added the team “checked in” on Josh Downs but “did not aggressively pursue a trade.”
As Halicke noted, the Jaguars didn’t trade Thomas. The Tennessee Titans didn’t deal Calvin Ridley either.
The Colts traded Downs to the Kansas City Chiefs for a pair of Day 3 2027 selections, including a fourth-rounder.
Steelers Aggressively Pursued Brian Thomas Jr., Calvin Ridley, Not Josh Downs at NFL Trade Deadline
Halicke’s report is notable for a couple of reasons.
The national insiders didn’t necessarily portray Pittsburgh’s trade deadline as Downs or bust. But there was a lot of buzz around the Colts receiver and the Steelers.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Steelers and Chiefs were interested in Downs. Ultimately, he landed in Kansas City.
While Halicke’s report confirms the Steelers had interest, it doesn’t sound like it was super serious. Instead, the Steelers preferred Thomas or Ridley.
Given those three receivers skillsets, that makes a lot of sense. Downs is slot receiver, after-the-catch type wideout. Had the Steelers acquired him, there certainly would have been buzz in the fan base. But analysts were mixed on the impact he really could have had in half a season.
Downs will be an unrestricted free agent in March.
Thomas and Ridley offered more downfield ability for Pittsburgh. But the Jaguars weren’t going to trade their wideout to another contender, especially in the AFC. Jacksonville is all-in after it made three major trades on defense Monday.
On November 9, ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported Ridley “was involved in an incident” at the Nashville International Airport. The details of the incident are still coming out, which Titans head coach Robert Saleh referred to as “a very minor miscommunication at the airport.”
That may prove to be the case a week or so from now. But one can understand why the Steelers didn’t trade for Ridley just a day after the story surfaced.
CB Market Didn’t Materialize at Trade Deadline
While the Steelers focused on receivers at the trade deadline, they considered a defensive addition as well. But unfortunately, there wasn’t much available at the team’s biggest need.
“As far as cornerback goes, the market was very dry at the position,” Halicke added. “No cornerbacks were moved throughout the league on Tuesday, and per source, the Steelers didn’t engage in many conversations regarding the position because teams weren’t offering those players.”
That explains why the Steelers weren’t able to add a cornerback. The fact Thomas didn’t get traded coupled with Ridley’s incident offers the explanation on why the Steelers didn’t acquire a receiver.
Still, it was a disappointing trade deadline for the Steelers. They will hope Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson return healthy to significantly contribute over the rest of the season.
On defense, the Steelers will continue to count on cornerbacks Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette to be enough to hold up in pass coverage.
Steelers ‘Were In’ on 2 Wide Receivers at NFL Trade Deadline: Report