The Pittsburgh Steelers are positioned to make a significant move in the trade market, driven by a convergence of favorable standings, critical roster needs, and a sense of urgency surrounding their current core. With the AFC North in disarray and the wider AFC conference lacking a clear dominant force, the window for Pittsburgh to make a deep playoff run is wide open, necessitating a trade for a wide receiver, an obvious position of need currently for the Steelers.
The key factor pushing the Steelers toward a trade is the chaos engulfing their competition. The Steelers currently sit third in the AFC standings and are leading the AFC North, a division where the rivals are struggling. The Cincinnati Bengals are scrambling after trading for Joe Flacco to try and salvage a rapidly sinking season. The Baltimore Ravens are decimated by injuries, and the Cleveland Browns are still hampered by their usual inconsistencies.
Beyond the division, the AFC is unusually vulnerable. The traditional powerhouses are showing cracks. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills are currently at the top but are highly beatable. The Bills, despite their 4-1 record, have primarily beaten one-win or winless teams, and the Jaguars recently lost to the Bengals. The Kansas City Chiefs have a losing record and while the Los Angeles Chargers are frisky, they still haven’t earned enough confidence as a top contender. This is the most wide open the AFC has been in possibly six years. For a Steelers team built for the short-term with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, this opportunity cannot be wasted.
The urgency for a trade is compounded by an injury to wide receiver Calvin Austin III, which requires immediate production replacement. While the Steelers’ defense is performing at a high level, surviving off of clutch takeaways and relying on veterans like T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, alongside a promising youth movement, the offense is clearly missing a consistent playmaker.
D.K. Metcalf is obviously the team’s “big play guy” for the offense. However, the Steelers desperately lack a receiver capable of moving the chains on critical downs. They clearly need a guy that can convert third and six, convert third and five. A chain mover.
The most compelling and logical trade target for this is Raiders wide receiver Jacobi Meyers. Myers excels in the slot position, where the Steelers need an upgrade. His 148 snaps out of the slot this year make him an excellent fit to work underneath Metcalf, providing a reliable target for Rodgers.
Myers also possesses the veteran pedigree required, having been on winning teams and working under cultures like Bill Belichick’s in New England, giving him the competitive discipline required for a deep playoff run. Furthermore, the trade is available: Myers requested a trade during the preseason, and with the Raiders’ disappointing season and their general manager John Spytek having already shown a willingness to wheel and deal, the team is likely open to moving him.
The Steelers’ front office, led by general manager Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin, is fully aware of the mounting pressure for playoff success. This urgency, combined with the team’s obvious all-in mandate for the 2025 season before a 2026 reload, means a trade is not just likely, but necessary. They cannot afford to settle for a 9-8 finish; they need a weapon who can put them over the top.
With Adam Schefter predicting a flurry of trades, around 10 to 12 deals before the November 4th deadline, the “smoke” of trade rumors in Pittsburgh is about to turn into “fire,” with Jacobi Myers being the most likely and essential piece to complete the Steelers’ playoff puzzle.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the Saturday Morning Inspection YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
