The Pittsburgh Steelers, with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers on board, can make the playoffs this season. But expecting them to do much more than that is asking too much of the players currently on their roster.
While they have one of the NFL's more brutal defenses, their offense leaves a lot to be desired. Right now, wide receiver D.K. Metcalf is their only real passing threat, and while the 27-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler who has never had less than 900 receiving yards in a season, he alone won't be able to lift the team.
With just over a week to go before Pittsburgh's regular-season opener versus the New York Jets, it does have some time to pull off a significant trade to bolster its offensive firepower. Moe Moton of Bleacher Report predicted in a recent article that the franchise will acquire wideout Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints for a fifth-round draft pick in 2026.
"Cooks is past his prime, though he can still be a serviceable pass-catching threat with a veteran quarterback," Moton wrote. "The Saints will start second-year pro Spencer Rattler, and rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough may see some time on the field if the former struggles early in the season.
"In his 12th year, Cooks would be a better fit on a playoff-contending squad rather than a team in its early stages of a rebuild with a starting quarterback who has an uncertain short-term future."
"... The Steelers should be one of the strongest suitors for Cooks, who would be the team's second-best wideout behind DK Metcalf. Calvin Austin III made strides as a big-play receiver last season, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers can target Cooks as his reliable chain-mover in the aerial attack."
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Cooks, a first-round pick by New Orleans in 2014, has gone over the 1,000-yard mark six times in his 11 pro seasons. He has appeared in the Super Bowl twice -- once with the New England Patriots in 2017 and once as a member of the Los Angeles Rams the following season.
The Dallas Cowboys traded for him in 2023 in an attempt to give themselves a reliable WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb, but he didn't really pan out. Last year, he had 26 receptions, 259 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.
Cooks will turn 32 years of age in late September, but perhaps heading to a relatively well-run franchise in the Steelers could result in him having one more productive year. It could be a symbiotic relationship, as he could help put a little spring in the step of the 41-year-old Rodgers.
At this point in his career, Rodgers isn't going to resemble his vintage self from his days with the Green Bay Packers -- at least not on a consistent basis. But the four-time MVP still put up a respectable 3,897 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns while with the New York Jets last year.
The Steelers haven't finished under .500 since 2003, one season before they drafted legendary quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Another Super Bowl championship for Rodgers this season may be completely unrealistic, but a return to the playoffs may not be, and a trade for Cooks would help make a postseason appearance happen, especially in a crowded AFC.
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