Omar Khan Continues to Fumble with Steelers’ Wide Receiver Situation
By and large, Omar Khan has done good work, since becoming general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers in May of 2022.
One of Khan’s most notable moves this past offseason was trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in March. Whether it was not getting along with quarterbacks, or simply being unhappy, with the mediocre nature of the offense, Johnson began to wear out his welcome in Pittsburgh. While the Steelers received cornerback Donte Jackson, who has done a terrific, job this season in the secondary, Khan really never addressed a legit replacement for Johnson in the offseason.
Even with the injuries this year to Steelers 2024 third round pick Roman Wilson, it’s not as if Mike Tomlin was going to slide a rookie into the WR2 spot, opposite George Pickens.
Perhaps the most baffling decision by the Steelers was employing Van Jefferson to be the team’s WR2. The main reason seemingly that Jefferson had played in Arthur Smith’s offense in Atlanta last season. Through seven games, Jefferson has just 10 catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
At the conclusion of the preseason, there were heavy rumors that the Steelers were looking to pursue San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Instead, Aiyuk chose to stay in the Bay Area by signing a four-year extension worth $120 million. Hindsight being 20/20, it’s probably a good thing Pittsburgh didn’t trade for Aiyuk, as he suffered a season-ending injury to his ACL and MCL.
A few weeks ago, rumors began to swirl that the Steelers were interested in Davante Adams. Although it didn’t seem that unrealistic, the reality was that Adams wanted the opportunity to reunite with his old buddy Aaron Rodgers, as the Las Vegas Raiders shipped Adams to the New York Jets.
The latest name speculated on the trade block is Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp, with reports that it would take a second round pick, to get a deal done. The Steelers were considered favorites for Kupp’s services.
Following the Rams 30-20 win over the Vikings on Thursday night, head coach Sean McVay shot down any talks that Kupp would be traded.
Personally, I didn’t have a problem with the Steelers moving on from Diontae Johnson, because he was disgruntled and becoming a distraction. That said, however, Omar Khan had an entire offseason, to got out and obtain a bonafide, receiver that could fill the WR2 role.
November 5th marks the NFL trade deadline. While we’re not certain who becomes the next president on Election Night, it’s with absolute certainty what the Steelers will look to address. If Khan is unable to acquire a WR of real impact, then the deadline becomes a big, failure, for the Steelers GM.