The Steelers need a WR2. When I talked about Fields and Wilson as QB options for 2025, two big negatives for both of them were taking sacks. Though many of the sacks fell on those two, probably an equal amount was because of our receivers inability to get open down the field. My freshman football coach/earth science teacher would’ve known to double Pickens with those other guys on the field, so Khan not filling that void is by far his biggest failure as GM to date.

Going into next season, the Steelers are projected to have the eighth most cap space going into the offseason, the most I can ever recall over the last 20 years. They also can add even more with the releases of Ogunjobi, Patterson, Dean Lowry, and some potential restructures (Watt, Freiermuth). With the best receiver free agent and trade candidate class we’ve seen in a while I’d prefer the Steelers finally go and pay a high-quality guy to be there number two. The other option would be round one of the draft, which I plan to write about as we approach April, but this article will focus on guys already in the league. Obviously free agency will tell us a lot about what the Steelers plan to do in the draft, but either way a guy has to be added. Let’s dive into all the options and see how well they’d fit in Pittsburgh (with a blockbuster trade scenario included).

Too Good to Be True

DK Metcalf

A name that was swirled around as a target for the Steelers over the last year or so, DK Metcalf would be my personal favorite option for the Steelers WR2 (or WR1?) in 2025. Going into the last year of his deal that brings a $31 million cap hit on a Seahawks team that could go into a rebuild with a question mark at QB and a budding star in Jackson Smith-Njigba, it seems like Metcalf will be on the trading block. He’s also been frustrated the last couple years not being on the same page with Geno Smith and his production dropping, so I’m sure he’s looking for a fresh start himself.

Metcalf is a massive body with blazing speed who is a threat to go the distance from any spot on the field. He’s not afraid to go over the middle to make tough catches, has strong hands, and is physical before and after the catch. Though not exactly the same Metcalf is a similar type of receiver as Pickens with their size and doing their best work down the field, but having two of those guys does on the field does a lot more good than bad. I know the Steelers (specifically Tomlin) would maybe be hesitant because of he lacks the ability to control his anger on the field at times which cost Seattle penalties, but if Tom Pelissero’s projection of Metcalf costing a 2nd or 3rd round pick is accurate, I’d be all over this if I were the Steelers and quickly adjust his deal to an extension and reduce the cap hit. But it’s the Steelers though, and there’s a reason why this section is tagged “Too Good to Be True.”

Garrett Wilson

I think the Jets trading Garrett Wilson is a lot less likely than others seem to think, but given the frustration he expressed last year it is possible. Aaron Rodgers being gone likely calms some of that a bit, and trading a guy like that going into his prime when looking to potentially bring in a young quarterback to rebuild would make no sense. The Jets are the Jets though, and maybe the new management wants to completely tear it down and stack picks.

Wilson would fit perfectly in the Steelers offense, pairing nicely with Pickens as a guy who can win one on one and play both from the slot and the outside. He’s a much faster and more reliable Diontae Johnson and would make it nearly impossible for defenses to double Pickens every play with him on the field. He succeeds at all three levels in the passing game, and would give whoever at quarterback a target they can trust to consistently get open. The problem here is that Wilson will at minimum cost a first round pick and likely more, and as a team who likes to build through the draft combined with the Steelers finally having money to spend, it’s very unlikely we see this happen.

Chris Godwin

Coming off a dislocated ankle, Godwin is the top candidate of mine among the unrestricted free agents. Someone who’s physical, isn’t afraid to block, and excels from the slot but can also play on the outside, he would fit perfectly in Arthur Smith’s 12 personnel bonanza. With this run-focused scheme we saw the Steelers in a ton of third and short situations, so many of which they failed. This is why I love Godwin the most, because he gives the Steelers a short-yardage option that can get open and is reliable. PFF logged Godwin having zero drops on 60 targets before getting hurt last year, and having someone that’s able to take the pressure of Freiermuth in the middle of the field is crucial.

The one downside I have on Godwin is the lack of big play ability. He’s not the fastest guy ever, and it would be nice to have someone who can bust the top off every now and then. That’s never been his game though, and if we’re going to run this clunky ass offense we might as well have a Hines Ward type come in and optimize it as much as possible. He’d also be playing alongside a very similar player to Mike Evans in George Pickens, and we saw how well that worked in Tampa. Unfortunately, with a project market value of $22.5 million a year, I have a really difficult time seeing the Steelers paying that type of money for him. With the amount of cap space they have and him coming off an injury potentially hurting his value there’s a possibility the Steelers surprise us, but with their history of never paying receivers it’s hard to picture Godwin in black and gold.

Other guys that fall into this category: Tee Higgins (too expensive/will never happen)

Steelers-Esque

Christian Kirk

If I had to make a projection right now who the Steelers would add, Christian Kirk would be my guess. After getting ready to pull the trigger on a trade at the deadline before he broke his collarbone, it would be surprising if the Steelers didn’t target him in March either via trade or if the Jags designate him as a post-June 1st cut due to his $24 million cap hit. The reason why this would be my projection is because it’s safe, something the Steelers live by. He’s a name people know but isn’t a big splash, he’s more of a reliable guy than a big play threat, and is coming off an injury so his price will likely be lower. Granted it’s a massive improvement from what we had last year, but to me this trade really wouldn’t move the offensive needle a lot, especially from an explosiveness standpoint.

Thinking more positively, it was surprising to see that Kirk ranks in the 98th percentile in separation against single coverage over the last three seasons, per PFF. This is one of the few stats I actually think matters a bit, and a broken collarbone is not something that’s going to slow that down at all, especially at only 28 years old. With teams loving to play man and fill the box against the Steelers run-first approach, having someone with s similar skill set as the aforementioned Godwin does make me a bit more intrigued. I didn’t see any projections in terms of what Kirk would cost, but I’m guessing a 4th rounder would likely do it for a Jags team that’s looking for a reboot and more cap space with a new coach and GM. It wouldn’t be surprising and I wouldn’t be thrilled if it was Kirk, but he’s a big upgrade from Van Jefferson.

Amari Cooper

A guy I’d actually be okay with and my favorite option of the Steelers-Esque grouping, Amari Cooper is coming off a down year in Cleveland/Buffalo which hopefully makes some teams forget about him. Though it seems like he’s been in the league for twenty years, Cooper is still only 30 and should have a lot left in the tank, especially after only playing in 22% of snaps in eight games with the Bills. He’s a complete receiver with size, speed, strength, and most importantly his route running ability. Though he’s probably not making guys fall off the line anymore like he was in Dallas, he can still get open and has contested catch ability. He’s a career 14 yard per catch player, and would be a great option to force defenses away from Pickens.

However, with Cooper comes a lot more negatives. He’s not explosive as he used to be, he’s not a willing blocker, and has had some criticisms of late with dropping passes (an abysmal 14.1% drop rate in 2024 per Pro Football Reference). His career drop rate is 6% so I’ll attribute the discrepancy to the disaster that is Cleveland and not being able to fit in with the Bills new system he had to learn. At this point With a projected value of $14.2 million per year, I think this would fit in more closely with what the Steelers would be willing to pay. Though he has flaws the Steelers need someone else who can make a play down the field, and at his current projected cost I wouldn’t hate the addition.

Darius Slayton

Someone we know the Steelers were interested in before the trade deadline last year, Darius Slayton is an example of a receiver who I think is underrated because of his lack of opportunity. Having come into the league the same year as Daniel Jones in New York, it’s really hard to put much of the blame on him. Slayton is probably the guy on this list I’ve seen the least of because of how bad the Giants have been, but there’s two things that stand out to me about his game. The first is that he’s actually a pretty solid deep threat, averaging 15 yards per reception for his career. It seems like whenever there was the rare Giants highlight last year it was a big play down the field to Slayton. He had a couple against Pittsburgh in Week 8, and after watching that game he was the guy I wanted to trade for at the deadline. Another thing I noticed in 2024 was how effective Slayton seemed to be running slants, a route the Steelers desperately need to get into their scheme. It was probably a small sample size I saw, but having two guys who can win off the line to the inside would be huge in setting up 2nd/3rd and manageables.

Where Slayton doesn’t excel is two areas the Steelers desperately need help in, which is getting into the endzone and yards after the catch. Those big plays I mentioned above somehow never get into the endzone (he hasn’t eclipsed more than four touchdowns in five years), which is something we see often with Pickens. Similarly, Slayton only averaged 3.5 yards after the catch last year per PFF, good for 83rd overall. Still, whatever quarterback situation looks like in Pittsburgh next year will be better than Daniel Jones (I know what you’re thinking, and stop right now), and Slayton is a guy that’s a more than capable number two option. I was surprised to see Slayton’s projection at $15.8 million per year, but given the Steelers interest at the deadline I could see this being the guy they bring in. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it, but since this seems to be an even more safe and boring move than Christian Kirk it strikes me as someone Tomlin would want.

Other guys who also fall into this category but I have a hard time seeing the Steelers bringing in: Hollywood Brown (injury concerns/lack of production), Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (not proven enough/Van Jefferson failure potential), Diontae Johnson (No), Mike Williams (No)

The Old Heads

It’s difficult to see the Steelers pulling the trigger on any of these guys below, but since they’re studs that should be available you have to bring them up. With Aaron Rodgers out in New York and his cap hit nearly $30 million, Davante Adams is likely on the move. There’s nothing really to say about his game except for the fact that he can still flat-out ball even at 32. The problem with him is going to be his price tag and his pickiness. Whether a trade or new contract he’s going to command around that $30 mil/year number, and he’s going to want to go a team that can compete (or has Aaron Rodgers), which the Steelers have consistently showed they can’t do at the highest level.

The Rams also seem to be parting ways with Cooper Kupp for whatever reason, which is definitely interesting to think about. Due $20 million next year the Steelers would probably need to adjust his contract, and I highly doubt they’ll give the Rams whatever they’re asking for in a trade, but the overall fit does make sense. He can win inside and out, especially over the middle, and is as reliable as any receiver in the league. There’s no denying he’s lost a step, but I do like imagining Kupp in black and gold.

Probably the guy that’s been tied to the Steelers the most, the 49ers have let Deebo Samuel seek a trade partner. Everyone in the media keeps saying it makes ton of sense and it’s a great fit, but I really don’t see it. He’s a career injury-plagued player coming off the worst year of his career who really is only good when he gets the ball in space. He’s not a good route runner and can’t separate, and doesn’t have the best hands. The reason he was so good in San Fran is because Kyle Shanahan is a genius and got him open going downhill, and I can tell you right now that’s not something Arthur Smith knows how to do. However, if the rumors of Samuel only costing a Day 3 pick are true and the Steelers could bring down the $17.55 million he’s owed in 2025 then I guess why not give it a shot. They’d have to bring in another guy though either in free agency or the draft that’s a more natural wide receiver.

Lastly we have DeAndre Hopkins and Brandin Cooks. Hopkins is by far the more attractive name and can still play, especially as a red zone threat, but I don’t think either of these guys are worth it at this point. The only way I’d be alright with one of these two guys is if they were the third option, but if the Steelers want to actually compete they’ll need to try harder than two guys way past their prime.

Other: Stefon Diggs (would be incredibly entertaining and I’d be all for it, but too old/too much drama for the Steelers), Keenan Allen (has expressed he’d only play again for the Bears or Chargers)

It will be really interesting to see what the Steelers do here with the pressure they’re under to get the WR2 spot fixed. I am a betting man and I haven’t been able to find anywhere quite yet to bet on Christian Kirk playing for the Steelers next year, but one of the players from the “Steelers-Esque” section is where I’d put my money. I thought Omar Khan was going to be different from Colbert and make bigger splashes, but with any decision going through Tomlin it’s tough to think they make a move that gets fans extra excited.

To paint a picture of what would get fans out of their seats with a surprise name that’s not mentioned above, I wanted to draw up a scenario that I actually think makes sense for both teams. The Steelers would need to do a lot of cap finessing and use one or two picks on a wide receiver in the draft, but man how cool would this be? Steelers Receive: WR Tyreek Hill, 2025 3rd Round Pick; Dolphins Receive: WR George Pickens

The Dolphins have been in cap hell for a while with the 27th most space this offseason, and even though he went back on his comments about wanting to leave Miami there still has to be some unrest between him and the team (and Tua). This frees them up a lot of money and gives them a young stud who will undoubtedly thrive and get more targets under Mike McDaniel. For the Steelers it gives them a top five receiver with no flaws who in my opinion is still the fastest player in the league, along with an early third rounder that would free them up to take a receiver in the first two rounds. I know this is crazy and the likelihood of this happening is less than 1%, but if your goal is to try and compete in the final years of Watt, Heyward, and Minkah then this is the type of move you’d need to make without a top five quarterback.