Although they seem to be confident in the group they have now, the Pittsburgh Steelers could certainly use some more depth at receiver. There are a few veteran receivers still on the market. That includes Odell Beckham Jr., who happens to be a player that CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin thinks would fit well with the Steelers.
“The Steelers have DK Metcalf as a legitimate No. 1 wideout for Rodgers, but all indications are they’re still exploring additional weaponry after dealing George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys,” Benjamin wrote in an article published Wednesday. “Beckham may not be the standout he once was, but he’s also been on Rodgers’ radar for years; the Green Bay Packers reportedly tried to land Beckham to pair with A-Rod during the 2021 season, and Rodgers admitted later that he had interest in Beckham following him to the Jets ahead of the 2022 campaign. On a one-year deal, why not make the dream pairing happen now?”
Beckham would certainly be an interesting addition. As Benjamin writes, it’s worth thinking about, considering the interest Aaron Rodgers seems to have in playing with him. When Rodgers first joined the New York Jets ahead of the 2023 season, he had a lot of say in the way the organization ran things. One of the first things he did was give a wish-list of players he hoped the Jets would bring in. One of those, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini at the time, was Beckham.
Aaron Rodgers has provided the NY Jets with a wish-list of free agents he would like them to target and acquire, per sources.
It includes Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Marcedes Lewis and….Odell Beckham Jr.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 14, 2023
However, it feels unlikely that the Steelers would have any interest in Odell Beckham. Last year, they had even less depth at receiver. Then, during the same time George Pickens was battling a hamstring injury, Beckham was released by the Miami Dolphins. If there was a time to bring Beckham in, it would have happened when the Steelers had no WR1 or WR2 on the roster. Instead, Pittsburgh decided to roll with what they had going forward, with Pickens not missing too much time.
Now, the Steelers head into a season with a similar lack of depth, but it’s certainly not as dire. Calvin Austin III impressed last year and seems to have pole position on the WR2 role. Pittsburgh has a healthy Roman Wilson, a luxury they didn’t have last year. And DK Metcalf feels like a more secure WR1 than George Pickens.
However, one variable here is Rodgers. If Rodgers carried the same attitude into Pittsburgh as he did New York, this conversation might be different. Then, people might wonder whether he’d put pressure on the Steelers to acquire a player like Beckham. Or one of his other favorite receivers.
That doesn’t seem to be the version of Rodgers that the Steelers are getting, though. He seems much more comfortable in Pittsburgh. It doesn’t feel as if he’s going to be making any demands anytime soon. Considering the Steelers’ lack of interest, a potential demand from Rodgers might be the only reason they’d bring in Beckham.
The Steelers know Odell Beckham well. He spent time with the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens in the past. And yet, they’ve never shown interest in bringing him in. Although he may feel like a fit, it would take a pretty severe injury crisis for Pittsburgh to make a move here.
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