Brian Thomas Jr.
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It may have gotten significantly more expensive for the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. after the D.J. Moore trade on Thursday.
It wasn’t cheap for the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in the trade market last year. But for the Steelers to again acquire a receiver, such as Brian Thomas Jr., via trade this offseason, it may have just gotten more expensive.
On Thursday, the Buffalo Bills acquired veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick.
Granted, the Bears also agreed to send a fifth-rounder to the Bills. But in the trade, Buffalo is giving up the No. 60 overall selection.
Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora argued the blockbuster move will make it harder for the Steelers to trade for a wideout this offseason.
“Those deals set the market. And suggests trading for Thomas will cost just as much — if not more,” wrote Kozora.
“It’s hard to justify giving up less for Thomas than it took to land Moore,” Kozora added. “Discussing the possibility earlier this week in response to Dave Bryan’s great post on the topic, I thought a third-round pick plus something else could get it done.
“That now looks like a dream.”
Multiple analysts, including Kozora, have argued Thomas has fallen out of favor with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The statistics suggest that, as Thomas had 42 fewer targets in his second season than his rookie campaign.
But that doesn’t mean Jacksonville is going to give him away. There are several factors why he could cost at least a second-round pick now after the Moore deal.
Why Brian Thomas is Potentially More Valuable Than D.J. Moore
Based on their 2025 production, Thomas isn’t significantly better than Moore. But most pundits would likely put each wideout in the same tier.
Thomas is also younger and cheaper. That possibly warrants more compensation for him than Moore in a trade.
“Moore is older than Thomas. Moore turns 29 in April. Thomas is 23 until October,” wrote Kozora.
“In 2025, Moore’s production was roughly on par with Thomas. Moore caught 50 passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns. Thomas hauled in 48 passes for 707 yards and two scores.
“Their contracts are worlds apart. Moore’s deal is heavy, just outside the top 10 for wide receivers, and the Bills are reportedly guaranteeing money as far as 2028.”
“Thomas remains on his rookie deal with the fifth-year option a possibility.”
Steelers insiders have linked the team to a Thomas trade this offseason. Mark Kaboly argued Tuesday the third-year receiver should be the top wideout on Pittsburgh’s offseason wish list.
Steelers WR Depth Entering 2026 NFL Free Agency
For a second consecutive offseason, pundits have linked the Steelers to a lot of different wideouts — in free agency, proposed trades and the draft. That’s because the team’s depth at the position is again very thin.
The Steelers will likely lose Calvin Austin III in NFL free agency. It doesn’t sound like the team is interested in bringing back Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Adam Thielen retired.
Besides Metcalf, third-year wideout Roman Wilson is the only returning wideout for Pittsburgh who had more than 100 receiving yards last season.
Because of that poor depth, Kaboly has previously argued the Steelers will both add a veteran and draft a rookie receiver.
The Moore trade is unlikely to change that plan if that is what the Steelers want to do. But the price to acquire a veteran through a trade may have just increased.