The Pittsburgh Steelers got off the mat Sunday with a huge win over the Indianapolis Colts. I can’t help but wonder, though, if the Steelers squandered a golden opportunity to get better on the same day.

Shortly after Pittsburgh’s game wrapped up, the Arizona Cardinals traded wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans. Many people around the league expected that move. The Steelers had every reason to be the team on the other end of that phone call.

Why the Steelers needed Marvin Harrison Jr.

Pittsburgh’s wide receiver room has been hit hard. Steelers WR Michael Pittman Jr. went to injured reserve early in the week with a foot injury. Pittsburgh also lost Ben Skowronek and Roman Wilson on Sunday against Indianapolis.

That trade was probably done well before it went public, since Houston Texans HC DeMeco Ryans announced it so close to the end of the Steelers game. Even so, Steelers general manager Omar Khan could have called Arizona well before kickoff. The front office knew Pittman was headed to IR. They also knew they needed wide receiver help regardless of who got hurt against the Colts.

That is what makes this one sting a little bit.

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Running the numbers with the A to Z Sports NFL Trade Simulator

When you plug the exact terms of the completed deal into the A to Z Sports NFL Trade Simulator, it comes back as a big win for the Cardinals. Arizona gets a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick, while the Texans get Harrison and a seventh-rounder.

In fact, much of the league thought Harrison would go for a Day 3 pick. Instead, he went for a Day 2 pick. That’s neither here nor there, but it tells you Arizona came out ahead.

So I ran a Steelers version of the deal. In that simulation, Pittsburgh sends the Cardinals a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick as an extra sweetener, and the Steelers receive Harrison. The result? It’s still a big win for Arizona.

In other words, Pittsburgh could have one-upped Houston’s offer, and the Cardinals would have come out of it in the same spot. Arizona gets a better package, and the Steelers get the wide receiver help they badly need.

Two receivers simply isn’t enough

I’m not going to be a Debbie Downer here. I’m not going to say the Steelers ruined their season by not making this trade.

But let’s be honest about Harrison. He wasn’t the problem in Arizona. The offense around him was, along with the inability to get him the football. Pittsburgh had a chance to take this offense to the next level, and he could have been a big part of that.

I understand that talking about a missed opportunity right after a win might seem a little odd. Still, look at what this group could face. If Wilson, Pittman, and Skowronek can’t play over the next two to three weeks, the Steelers’ receiver room is simply Germie Bernard and DK Metcalf.

Bernard has been incredible for Pittsburgh. He looks like a hit as a rookie. Metcalf, on the other hand, has been up and down.

Even with Pat Freiermuth and Jaylen Warren in the mix, this offense needs more weapons. It needed them before Sunday, too.

In my opinion, Marvin Harrison Jr. could have been one of them. Now he’s in Houston, and the Steelers will have to hope the guys they have can get healthy, and fast.