Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost out on adding yet another wide receiver.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ search for another wide receiver continues as yet another playmaker has slipped between their fingers.
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, wide receiver Javon Baker plans to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles after mulling multiple options, including a return to the Patriots.
Baker, 23, was released by New England on Wednesday after the team had kept eight wide receivers on its initial 53-man roster.
However, Baker turned out to be one of the odd men out, and surprisingly so since the Patriots just drafted him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Baker played in 11 games as a rookie, but he was only able to reel in one catch for 12 yards on four targets. That, of course, made it an uphill battle for him to make the roster this year, especially with the offseason additions of Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.
Still, Baker could have been an intriguing addition for the wide receiver-needy Steelers, who need another option at outside receiver other than DK Metcalf.
Baker would have fit the bill, standing at 6-foot-1, 202 pounds. While he doesn’t have the production in the NFL quite yet, he did in college.
He began his collegiate career at Alabama, but after a couple of disappointing seasons, he transferred to UCF and broke out.
From 2022-23, Baker racked up 108 catches for 1,935 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2023, he ranked first nationally among Power Four players with an average of 21.9 yards per catch and was named first-team All-Big 12.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, Baker is now taking his services to Philadelphia, leaving the team in the same position it has been in all offseason since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Potential Steelers WR Target Joins NFC Contender
