Behind the Steel Curtain
This would be far too much to give up
The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to be centered around trade rumors for several different pass-catchers, as they look for weapons to add to their offense opposite DK Metcalf. Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith has been a name floating around for the last week and a half, and the Steelers reportedly made calls to the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons about Chris Olave and Kyle Pitts, respectively.
With Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin seeking a new deal and potentially skipping mandatory minicamp, the talks of a trade have begun to come out in terms of potential proposals. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested the Steelers send their first-round pick in 2026 and the 2027 fifth-round pick they received from the Dallas Cowboys in the George Pickens trade to acquire the All-Pro receiver.
“Pittsburgh may have to pay a premium in terms of draft capital to acquire McLaurin for a couple of reasons,” Knox writes. “For one, the Steelers are highly unlikely to be picking near the top of the draft order. Under head coach Mike Tomlin, they simply don’t experience sub-.500 seasons. Secondly, the Steelers won’t want to surrender any potential contributors in a trade. Their play for Rodgers suggests they believe they can make a serious run this season. They’re not going to part with a player who can help them achieve that goal. Of course, acquiring McLaurin wouldn’t have to be a one-year investment. With $32.3 million in cap space, the Steelers could afford to lock him up long-term.”
Respectfully speaking to Knox, the Steelers would be insane to trade their first-round pick in 2026 when they are certainly going to use that pick on a quarterback to be the future of their franchise. In addition, it likely wouldn’t take a first-round pick to acquire McLaurin. DK Metcalf went for a second-round pick and a Day Three pick swap. McLaurin will be 30 this season, and trading a first-round pick for a 30-year-old wideout when you don’t have a long-term franchise quarterback on the books would be a firable offense.
