Behind the Steel Curtain
For the second consecutive season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are on an expedition to find a No. 2 wide receiver. Last March, they traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, leaving George Pickens as the only starting-quality pass-catcher on the team. This past spring, they dealt Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys after trading for DK Metcalf and giving him a long-term extension.
Ever since moving on from Pickens, though, the Steelers have been connected to several receivers who were reported to be available, or were in bad situations in which it would make some sense for their current team to move them. Chris Olave, Terry McLaurin, Romeo Doubs, somehow Brandon Aiyuk again – if you were a receiver with even an inkling of a chance of getting traded, the Steelers were named a trade destination.
The latest name to be added to the list is Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill. The All-Pro wide receiver is stuck on a sinking ship in Miami, which just got blown out 33-8 by the Indianapolis Colts and Daniel Jones. Many believe he’ll be on the next flight back to Kansas City via trade, but Mike Florio of NBC Sports named the Steelers as a team that is interested in trading for the speedster.
“Yes, Pittsburgh already has receiver DK Metcalf, who’s making $30 million per year on a five-year deal,” Florio writes. “But the Steelers don’t have a clear cut No. 2. Hill would be 1b (if not, at times, 1a) to Metcalf. Why wouldn’t quarterback Aaron Rodgers want Hill? The more potent weapons that Rodgers has at his disposal, the better his first year in Pittsburgh will go.”
I have one simple word to answer any sort of Tyreek Hill trade questions – no.
Is he incredibly talented? Of course. Is he also a guy who’s been accused of several different instances of domestic abuse, and someone who was convicted os domestic assault in 2014? Yes. He was dismissed from Oklahoma State’s football team for beating his pregnant girlfriend, including sitting on her and punching her in the stomach. Now, his ex-wife is accusing him of eight separate instances of domestic abuse, per ESPN.
And if that wasn’t enough to convince you that the Steelers should want no part of his vile human being, he’s also a hot head on the field when things don’t go his way, and publicly said he wanted to be traded, then changed his mind about five different times in different interviews this offseason. And not for nothing, Calvin Austin just had a terrific game against a good Jets secondary, and multiple other pass-catchers stepped up. Aaron Rodgers had four touchdown passes, and none of them were to DK Metcalf – that’s a good sign for the corps of weapons Pittsburgh currently has.
I understand wanting to add an elite playmaker if you’re going all in on this season. From a pure football perspective, the move would make Pittsburgh better. From a human perspective, it would be like dumping...
