The Pittsburgh Steelers will be a team to watch for at the NFL trade deadline, according to NFL insider Jason La Canfora.
“Trust me, inside team headquarters, everyone knows that merely getting into the dance to bow out meekly is not the goal. They know [Mike] Tomlin’s lack of late-career playoff success was part of the reason many fans wanted to move on, even while knowing the team would always, at the very least, win more games than it lost,” La Canfora wrote.
“That’s also why I anticipate Pittsburgh will make a move or two by the trade deadline. From what we gather, the Steelers brass understands that adding another playmaker to this offense—even after making a bold trade for DK Metcalf from Seattle—is likely in order.”
La Canfora noted that one scout believes either Ladd McConkey or Brian Thomas Jr. would be an ideal fit in the Steelers’ offense.
“After decades of operating as a conservative front office, the Steelers are wheeler-dealers now,” La Canfora wrote. “One scout suggested to me that someone like Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey might be the kind of target Rodgers would enjoy throwing to to help sustain drives. Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jaguars is another name to keep an eye on.”
Thomas, 23, was a Pro Bowler in his rookie season in 2024. He recorded 87 receptions for 1,282 yards (14.7 average) and 10 touchdowns that season. That was under Doug Pederson, however.
His production dropped under new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen last season, catching 48 receptions for 707 yards (14.7 average) and two touchdowns.
Through six games this year, Thomas has recorded only nine receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown.
The Los Angeles Chargers are off to a 0-6 start, so they could be on a fire sale at the trade deadline. McConkey has 13 receptions for 200 yards (15.4 average) and one touchdown.
McConkey caught 66 passes for 789 yards (12.0 average) and six touchdowns last year. He also had a big game in the Chargers’ win over the Steelers last season, catching four passes for 107 yards (26.8 average) and one touchdown.
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