For decades, the NFL trade deadline was a virtual non-event for the Pittsburgh Steelers. From the advent of free agency in 1993 until 2019, the Steelers made no mid-season trades.
The acquisition of inside linebacker Avery Williamson from the New York Jets on Nov. 1, 2020, started something of a mini-trend. It was the first of four trades the Steelers made in short advance of three NFL “deadline days.”
And while the Steelers again sat out the run up to the trade deadline last year, it’s obvious the organization is part of a league-wide philosophical shift toward an openness to in-season dealing with other clubs — particularly at the league trade deadline, which is 4 p.m. Tuesday of Week 9.
As they have been since spring, the Steelers remain in the market for a veteran wide receiver. Here are five names to keep an eye on to see if general manager Omar Khan pulls the trigger:
(Listed in no particular order)
Darius Slayton
A six-year veteran who has averaged roughly 50 catches per season for the New York Giants, the 6-foot-1, 198-pound Slayton had receptions of 43, 36 and 18 yards among four catches during last week’s loss to the Steelers.
Due for unrestricted free agency in the spring and playing for a last-place team, the acquisition cost would not figure to be high. The 27-year-old probably isn’t a big difference-maker, though.
Mike Williams
A former No. 7 overall pick, Williams hasn’t been much of a fit in his first season with the New York Jets: 12 catches on 21 targets for 166 yards in nine games. During Years 3-5 in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2019-2021, Williams averaged almost 1,000 yards, 16.8 yards per catch and more than five touchdowns per season — but those days appear over.
Williams turned 30 last month, and he’s had one or fewer catches in six of nine games for the Jets. He’d be another “rental.”
Adam Thielen
On paper, this is the type of wideout who would be a perfect complement for Steelers WR1 George Pickens: a reliable possession receiver who runs crisp short routes.
But Thielen is 34, and he’s played only three games this season because of a hamstring injury. If deemed healthy, the Steelers almost assuredly would view him as a piece for only the next nine games — Thielen is due $5.5 million in 2025 but can be cut in the spring.
Tyler Lockett
Another player whose contract status probably means he would be cut (or contract re-negotiated) by March, Lockett is an intriguing name not just because he’s a former All-Pro (as a returner) but because he made his name as a target of current Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. Lockett was a teammate of Wilson’s with the Seattle Seahawks from 2015-21. In 10 NFL seasons, he has 646 receptions for 8,450 yards and 61 receiving touchdowns.
Now 32 years old, Lockett still runs smooth routes and has sure hands.
Courtland Sutton
Sutton would probably be the most expensive — both in terms of trade compensation and in that he would want a lucrative new contract in the spring. He also played with Wilson on the Denver Broncos the past two seasons. He and Wilson hooked up for 10 touchdowns in 2023.
Sutton, 29, is big (6-4, 216) and thrives in deep routes — the kind of receiver who seems to mesh well with Wilson.
