Steelers Now
With the Miami Dolphins firing general manager Chris Grier on Friday after a disastrous 2-7 start, star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle could be on the trade block now. That would bode well for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are in desperate need of an upgrade at their No. 2 WR position.
“While previously a question about wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was met with a hard “no,” the team will now do its due diligence and at least consider offers for the star in his prime, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network wrote. “Miami still would prefer to not trade Waddle, but the Dolphins are at least willing to weigh an offer that blows them away. With an uncertain future at several key places, all options are now on the table.”
Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reported last week that he was hearing that Waddle and Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans were on the Steelers’ radar.
“Two names I am hearing as trade targets are Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins and Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans,” Pauline reports. “According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins don’t plan on trading Waddle, but that could change if Miami continues to lose and the right deal is placed in front of them. Waddle’s contract, which has a huge number in 2027, could also be a hurdle teams must overcome. Ridley has not been very productive this season and won’t cost much in terms of draft picks.”
Waddle has 41 receptions for 586 yards (14.3 average) and four touchdowns this year. In his career, the 26-year-old has caught 350 passes for 4,715 yards (13.5 average) and 24 touchdowns.
The Steelers have called the Las Vegas Raiders about trading for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, but are now looking around at other options, after finding the price tag prohibitively high.
According to a report by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Steelers have called about Meyers, a player they have been interested in acquiring since the summer, but found the price tag too high.
Waddle’s price tag most likely will be higher than Meyers. Waddle is widely considered a better receiver with over 1,000 receiving yards in three of his first four seasons.
The Steelers play the Dolphins on Monday Night Football in Week 15. It will be interesting to see if Waddle ends up in a Steelers uniform, or with another team, or if he stays put in Miami.
The trade deadline is on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Report: Dolphins Willing to Part with Steelers WR Target after Firing GM
