The ongoing assumption in Pittsburgh has been that the Steelers will add another wide receiver before the regular season starts. Just who that will be has been the big question. Could it be former Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills WR Gabe Davis? The Steelers brought him in earlier this offseason and let him leave without a contract.
But Davis is back in Pittsburgh again on Tuesday. According to insider Gerry Dulac, the primary purpose of this visit is to check on how Davis is recovering from injury. Then, Davis scheduled a Wednesday visit with his former team, the Bills. Buffalo did sign another wide receiver on Tuesday, though. So where does that leave Davis and the Steelers? Will he depart Pittsburgh without a contract again?
“He’s still going to go through tests, and there’s still a chance that they might not like what they see,” 93.7 The Fan’s sports director Jeff Hathhorn said Tuesday on the Fan Morning Show. “But I would be surprised that they would go through the trouble to bring a guy in a second time and not sign him.”
The Steelers must have interest in Gabe Davis, even after not signing him the first time around. As Hathhorn said, why would they want to bring Davis back for rechecks unless they want to add him to the team? It would seem like the Steelers want to bring him in as long as he checks out medically. He suffered a season-ending meniscus injury in Week 11 of 2024.
However, Davis wasn’t very effective prior to that. So, why would the Steelers want a wide receiver whom the Jaguars cut only one year into a multi-year deal?
“Listen, the dude’s only 26, so he’s not a 30-something guy that they brought in,” Hathhorn said. “I mean, this guy should still have some mileage. I know he didn’t have the year last year. But if you’re looking at the receiving corps, and if you take Calvin Austin [III] out, you’re talking about a receiving corps other than, beyond [DK] Metcalf, they had no touchdowns last year.”
And that’s why the Steelers are interested in Gabe Davis. He had 27 touchdowns in his first four seasons with the Bills, plus six more in the postseason. He averaged 16.7 yards per catch in four seasons, and that elevated to 21.5 yards per catch in seven playoff appearances.
Gabe Davis, despite drop issues, is a big-play touchdown threat. When he’s healthy, he can take the top off defenses and score from anywhere on the field. Steelers fans should know this.
GABE DAVIS. 98 YARDS. 🔥
📺: #PITvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/5bVODjrAl5 pic.twitter.com/hfkMpMKH7Z
— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2022
Yes, that was a 98-yard touchdown by Gabe Davis. Having a player like that could be a huge boost to the Steelers’ offense if he’s healthy. Fans shouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers at least offer him a contract if the medical tests come back good. It always takes two to tango, but a healthy Davis could be a big-play threat in Pittsburgh.
Recommended for you