Steelers Now
The Miami Dolphins were asking way more than the Pittsburgh Steelers were willing to pay for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
The NFL trade deadline came and went and the Pittsburgh Steelers still have yet to add a legitimate No. 2 wide receiver. Much of that had to do with the asking prices for playmakers around the league, and one insider revealed that was very much the case for Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
NFL insider Benjamin Allbright revealed the Dolphins were looking for a first-round pick and more in exchange for Waddle — an asking price the Steelers were clearly never going to meet.
Dolphins wanted a 1st and more for Waddle, teams weren’t willing.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) November 4, 2025
It’s not a surprise Waddle’s price was so high. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has racked up 250 receptions for 4,715 yards and 24 touchdowns since entering the league.
Miami seems to be heading for a rebuild as it sits near the bottom of the league with a 2-7 record and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa continuing to struggle. However, the team likely views Waddle as a part of its future. Maybe even it’s future No. 1 wide receiver after Tyreek Hill suffered a serious season-ending injury in Week 4.
Either way, the Steelers were never going to pay that price as it has become increasingly clear that general manger Omar Khan has been reluctant to part with significant pieces of his 2026 NFL Draft stock, as the team prepares to trade up for a quarterback next spring.
That doesn’t solve Pittsburgh’s problems this season. Outside of the free agent addition of veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the team’s receiving corps will be pretty much the same the rest of the year.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made due with what he’s been given thus far, though, and now he has yet another familiar face in his arsenal in Valdes-Scantling.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Dolphins’ Price For Jaylen Waddle Proves Too Costly For Steelers
