NFL insider names star wide receiver with ties to the Pittsburgh Steelers among top 3 targets ahead of 2025 NFL trade deadline
Here’s who Pittsburgh could be looking to bring in at WR.
The Pittsburgh Steelers got off the mat on Sunday, reversing their two-game losing streak to win a game against the top-overall seed in the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts. It was a statement game for a Steelers defense that was reeling over the past few weeks.
And the offense took advantage. It scored three touchdowns off turnovers and a field goal, accounting for 24 of the team’s 27 points. But something is still missing. DK Metcalf had one of his quieter games in a Steelers uniform.
Calvin Austin III got involved in the action, but most of his work came out of the slot, working the middle of the field and doing what he does best. So it was clear on Sunday, as it has been for weeks, that the Steelers need one more playmaker.
According to Ian Rapoport, the Steelers know that, and there are three names to watch, including a potential blockbuster.
Steelers targeting WRs ahead of Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline
“Steelers are also in the trade market,” said Rapoport on NFL Network on Sunday. “They’ve done this a couple times. They traded for receiver last year in Mike Williams. They traded for DK Metcalf this past offseason. My understanding is they’re looking for receiver help in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Couple names to watch, Jakobi Meyers, Rashid Shaheed (the speedster from the New Orleans Saints), maybe even Jaylen Waddle, though we addressed that earlier.”
The headliner there is Jaylen Waddle. Of course, Waddle already has familiarity with Steelers TE Jonnu Smith and defensive back Jalen Ramsey, all of whom played together with the Miami Dolphins in 2024, a team that has a history of making trades with the Steelers, and who just parted ways with their GM.
At just 27 years old and on a reasonable contract for the caliber of player he is, Waddle would be a homerun, a slam dunk, and a Hail Mary for the Steelers offense. The problem is, he will cost a pretty penny, and a penny I’m not sure Omar Khan and the Steelers would be willing to part with.
“Dolphins would be expected to ask for — in the words of a source — “a 1-plus” in any potential trade for Jaylen Waddle, meaning they believe they would have to receive a first-round draft pick plus other compensation. A trade for Waddle is considered “highly unlikely.” – Adam Schefter, ESPN
That leaves Meyers of the Raiders and Shaheed of the Saints as more practical choices for Pittsburgh. Shaheed would be a vertical presence that could blow the roof off coverage and create more advantageous matchups for Metcalf.
Meyers is a little different. He’s a seamless route runner who would better translate to Arthur Smith’s offense. He is a natural-born separator who will work the middle of the field with ease, helping diversify the Steelers’ passing attack.
But either way, the Steelers look to be active, and that’s a good thing for a team that still leads the division and needs to go all in.
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