Like last year, Dan Orlovsky wants the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade for a New York Jets wide receiver. But he’s aiming for a much bigger name than last tear’s acquisition Mike Williams. Instead, Orlovsky is calling on GM Omar Khan to land No. 1 receiver Garrett Wilson.
“If they win tonight, they should be one of the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike Thursday morning. “I’d add another receiver. I’d call the Jets and see how viable Garrett Wilson is.”
A win tonight from Pittsburgh would put them not only in firm control of the AFC North but top of the table in the conference. A Steelers win coupled with an Indianapolis Colts this weekend would give Pittsburgh sole possession of first place. A wide-open AFC could give Pittsburgh a better chance to win a playoff game and make a run than any recent season and Orlovsky thinks the Steelers’ trade deadline moves should reflect it.
At 0-6, the Jets won’t be buyers at the deadline. The question is if they’ll be sellers and be willing to part with an offensive staple like Wilson. Especially knowing he just signed a four year, $130 million contract extension this past July. Per Over the Cap, moving Wilson would create a massive dead money hit and a deal seems untenable.
Of course, the Jets also threw for negative-10 passing yards in Week 6’s London loss. Wilson showed cleared frustration with head coach Aaron Glenn for his end-of-half decision to run clock instead of trying to score. Wilson is toiling away for a lost cause team and it never hurts to at least ask if a talented player is available.
“The overall thing for me is like, ‘Hey Pittsburgh, you got something really good going. It’s probably better than I certainly and a lot of people expected. There’s justification to go get aggressive,” Orlovsky said.
During their time together in New York last season, some speculated a rift between Wilson and Rodgers. Wilson denied the rumors.
Caught up with Garrett Wilson and asked him about the narrative that he's at odds with Aaron Rodgers:
“Yeah, I've seen some of that. Yeah, I mean, there's no truth to that. At the end of the day, I don’t speak on things like that because social media is not real.
“This is my…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 1, 2025
Pittsburgh supporting DK Metcalf and Wilson in this offense could be a tall task. And while the team could afford it, taking on both contracts uses plenty of resources at wide receiver. If the Steelers land a receiver, it’ll likely be a lesser-caliber player on a lesser contract. A rental of sorts for the Las Vegas Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers or the other Jets receiver, Allen Lazard.
The trade deadline is November 4, 48 hours after Pittsburgh’s Week 9 game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers will have a chance to add to the roster but if there’s enough confidence in Calvin Austin III, expected to return Week 8, Khan might choose to stand pat.
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