The Pittsburgh Steelers under GM Omar Khan decided against doing anything on trade deadline day, avoiding some of the high costs at the wide receiver position. That has drawn some criticism from their fans and the national media.
And yet they remain winners coming out of the deadline.
At least that’s how NFL.com’s Judy Battista sees things. That’s due to the move they made the week before the deadline, landing safety Kyle Dugger, not to mention some of the moves the Steelers made in the summer.
“They pulled off their ownblockbuster during the dog days of summer, acquiring All-Pro cornerbackJalen Ramsey and tight endJonnu Smith in exchange for All-Pro safetyMinkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap. How important has Ramsey been?” Battista writes of the Steelers as a winner atthe deadline. “Because of injuries to teammates, he played exclusively at safety against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, which was the Steelers’ best defensive effort of the season.
“Then, last week, they got safetyKyle Dugger from the Patriots, and he played all but one defensive snap in thewin over the Colts three days later — Duggerreceived a game ball for his part in the best defensive effort of the season.”
It was a busy summer for Khan and the Steelers as they were aggressive in trying to plug some holes, particularly on defense. It all culminated with the trade for Ramsey, which was a shocker.
Moving on from Minkah Fitzpatrick was stunning, but adding Ramsey has been a positive one for the Steelers. He’s had some struggles on the outside at cornerback in man coverage, but his versatility and now his move to safety have been huge for the Steelers’ defense.
He’s a hub of communication and has provided physicality and a real edge to the defense.
That’s what the Steelers are hoping Dugger adds, too. He stepped in right away in Week 9 against the Colts just a few days after being acquired from the Patriots and played 77 of 78 snaps defensively. His efforts earned him a game ball from head coach Mike Tomlin, who praised him after the game.
That praise carried over into Tuesday’s press conference after of the Steelers’ Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football as Tomlin raved about his new safety.
It wasn’t a move made on deadline day, but it still was quite impactful and helped the Steelers win an all-important game at home.
Dugger isn’t a wide receiver, which everyone and their mother seemed to be clamoring for, but Khan and the Steelers made the move without it costing much at all, and now the defense is better for it. Hard to not think that’s a win, putting the Steelers in Battista’s winners category.
Oh, and they still have a ton of 2026 NFL Draft picks to work with in April. A nice bit of business by Khan and the Steelers’ front office.
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