Despite reports indicating that they were going to be aggressive, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t do anything at this year’s trade deadline. That might be disappointing for some. The Steelers weren’t idle this offseason, wanting to become a Super Bowl contender. Now, they’re 5-3 and on top of the AFC North. They could’ve made another move to help take them over the top. Former NFL general manager Ran Carthon labeled the Steelers losers of the deadline because of their inaction.
“I’m gonna go with the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Carthon said Tuesday on CBS Sports HQ. “For me, it’s the simple fact that I would’ve loved to see them target Jakobi Meyers. I thought he would’ve been a really good complement to DK Metcalf. To me, he is an upgrade over Roman Wilson. We know Calvin Austin [III] can be a viable threat in the slot, but he’s a little guy.
“You would have given Aaron Rodgers a bigger target who is gonna be a crisp route runner, who is gonna be where he’s supposed to be and catch the football. That would’ve allowed DK to open up things downfield. I would have loved to see that addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense.”
The Steelers were heavily linked to Meyers. He’s wanted the Las Vegas Raiders to trade him since before this season began. Reports even indicated that the Steelers were one of the teams that called about Meyers leading up to the deadline.
However, he was ultimately traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick. That’s not a steep price, which might’ve drawn more ire from Steelers fans.
ESPN sources: Raiders are trading WR Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for fourth- and sixth-round picks.
Multiple teams including the Steelers and Jaguars had shown interest in Meyers, who is scheduled to become a free agent after his contract expires this… pic.twitter.com/Yyhp7NeWwk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2025
The team shouldn’t be knocked too hard for not landing Meyers, though. Would he have been an upgrade for them? Yes. He’s been a consistent player, and Carthon is correct that he’d make a nice complement to Metcalf. However, was Meyers going to make the Steelers a Super Bowl contender? That feels unlikely. He wasn’t going to solve all of their problems.
Receiver has been a weakness for the Steelers for the past few years, but that hasn’t hurt them too much this season. When healthy, Austin has been a fine number two option. Just as well, the Steelers have a plethora of tight ends that they utilize in the passing game.
Really, the Steelers’ defense has been the team’s biggest problem. Aaron Rodgers has steadied them offensively. Meyers wouldn’t have fixed the Steelers’ issues defensively.
There’s still an argument to be made that the Steelers were losers of the trade deadline. However, it’s unclear if there was a deal out there that would’ve significantly improved their team. Should they have overpaid and made a move just for the sake of doing something? For better or worse, the Steelers stood pat. Now, we’ll see if that pays off.
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