Steelers’ best chances at trading for a wide receiver ahead of the deadline may have just gone up in smoke after latest report
The Pittsburgh Steelers have only hours left before the 2026 NFL trade deadline, and between a new ESPN report and Mike McCarthy’s latest comments, the path to a wide receiver upgrade looks a lot narrower.
The 2026 NFL trade deadline is just hours away, and the Pittsburgh Steelers may have just watched their top wide receiver target come off the board. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Jacksonville Jaguars now plan to keep wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
That is a major blow to the Steelers’ hopes of adding a receiver before the deadline. It also raises real questions about how active Pittsburgh plans to be in the final hours.
Why Thomas made the most sense for the Steelers
Of all the potential wide receivers on the market, Thomas made the most sense for Pittsburgh. For one, he’s only 24 years old, and we all saw what he did as a rookie. He’s a phenomenal vertical stretch player with a big, long frame.
That is exactly the type of receiver the Steelers like to build their room around. Other options are still out there, but none of them fit this offense the way Thomas would have. Losing him as a possibility means any move Pittsburgh makes now likely comes with a lesser fit.
Mike McCarthy’s comments add to the uncertainty
On top of that, Steelers coach Mike McCarthy didn’t exactly sound like someone itching to make a move. When reporters asked him Monday about potentially making a trade, he kept the focus on his current roster.
“We’re worried about the ones that are here,” McCarthy said.
Put those two things together, and I’m not sure how aggressive the Steelers will be before the deadline passes. They could be playing coy. Maybe they go in hard and heavy, offer a second-round pick, and change Jacksonville’s mind.
We don’t know yet, and there are still hours to go. But right now, it looks like Pittsburgh might not be making a trade at all.
A fair deal was there for the taking
If you plug this into the A to Z Sports NFL Trade Simulator, a perfectly even trade would have looked like this:
Steelers-Jags Mock Brian Thomas Jr. trade
- Steelers send: 2027 third-round pick (acquired from Dallas in the Broderick Jones trade)
- Jaguars send: WR Brian Thomas Jr.
That is right down the middle of the fairway. Maybe the Jaguars want more than a third-round pick. Maybe the Steelers don’t want to give that pick up. I’m not sure, but this trade is as good as gold, and I don’t understand why these two sides wouldn’t come together and make the deal.
To be fair to the Steelers, I understand their side of it. Pittsburgh just invested in Michael Pittman Jr., and the team likes Roman Wilson. However, both of those players have been injured, with Wilson dealing with his wrist and Pittman dealing with a foot injury.
And let’s be honest, even before those injuries, neither one was making a ton of plays. That is why passing on a 24-year-old vertical threat at the price of a third-round pick is hard to justify.
Maybe Pittsburgh still makes a move before the deadline. But with Jacksonville planning to hold onto its young receiver and McCarthy focused on the guys already in the building, it seems like the best option for the Steelers has officially gone away.
