The Pittsburgh Steelers made a blockbuster trade to acquire DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks shortly before the NFL free agency period began. This was looked at as an awesome move for General Manager Omar Khan and co., but just months later, it was questioned after the team decided to deal George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. This decision put the organization right back to where it was when the 2024 campaign began. There is an unquestioned top guy on the depth chart, but everyone that follows him is not a formidable number two option at the NFL level.
Pittsburgh failed to acquire a difference-maker at wide receiver during the 2024 offseason, and that led to a rather unhelpful deal near the regular season trade deadline which saw the Steelers bring in Mike Williams via an acquisition from the New York Jets. Fans are calling for Khan to be more proactive in 2025, mainly because the offensive unit really isn’t scaring anyone currently, despite the presence of Metcalf.
Rumors have continued to swirl about what the Steelers may do, and a recent report from Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer is worth noting. In a mailbag, he was asked if there was any smoke to the trade talks involving New Orleans Saints wideout Chris Olave. He did admit that Pittsburgh, and another AFC North franchise, were reaching out about a potential deal.
“The Saints got inquiries from the Browns and Steelers early in the offseason, and rebuffed them, and Olave’s had a really nice offseason since,” Breer wrote. “Maybe someone blows New Orleans away with an offer. But he’s not on the block, and I have a hard time thinking he’s going to be traded.
It appears as if talks are no longer current regarding Olave, but it does have to make one wonder if the Steelers were just putting some feelers out, or if Olave was potentially looked at as more of a priority than Metcalf. When putting two and two together, Olave and Pickens would have been a duo that wouldn’t clash nearly as much when it comes to style of play compared to Pickens and Metcalf. It is rather interesting that Breer noted that conversations were at the beginning of the offseason.
The rumors about Olave have heated up in recent weeks, but based on Breer’s reporting, the wideout isn’t going anywhere. Khan and co. clearly had an interest in him dating back to potentially February and March, but the decision internally was made to focus on Metcalf. It’s hard to imagine that the Steelers were looking to acquire both pass-catchers within weeks of one another, especially with Pickens still on the roster as the new league year began.
There was also no guarantee that Pittsburgh would have landed Metcalf, so Khan could have simply been doing his due diligence. The reach-out to New Orleans can be looked at in several different ways, but at the end of the day, what is coming to light months later has no true effect on either franchise as summer activities are almost underway.
There will continue to be murmurs about the Steelers and wide receivers, but it is becoming increasingly more likely that the team simply decides to sign one of the remaining veterans that is still on the free agency market.
Steelers Haven’t Had A Quiet Offseason In Several Years
The NFL and its teams have become reliant on the quarterback position. When you mix in the fact that Pittsburgh hasn’t had that spot figured out since the 2022 offseason got underway, along with consistent wide receiver issues, it has been very busy for Khan since he took over as the organization’s general manager. The offense remains extremely subpar, which is why the franchise is facing a ton of pressure to get that fixed before the 2025 season kicks off.
