Shocking Trade Ideas Steelers Should Pursue Before 2024 Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers reside in the middle of the wide receiver carousel at the moment.
Pittsburgh dealt away former No. 1 wide out Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, but the team still needs pass-catching help.
George Pickens is in line to take over the top spot on the depth chart, but he does not have much depth behind him.
Pittsburgh would benefit from bringing in a second top-tier wide receiver for Russell Wilson or Justin Fields to work with.
The Steelers should explore all angles of the trade market before the season, even if that means talking trades with a divisional rival.
Deal with Cincinnati for Tee Higgins
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A Pittsburgh-Cincinnati deal for Tee Higgins would be the stunner of all stunners.
Higgins does not have a new contract yet in Cincinnati. The Bengals may be motivated to move on from him prior to the 2024 campaign so that the contract negotiations do not overshadow the season itself.
The Steelers would likely have to pay a larger price tag to acquire Higgins from a divisional rival, but it could be more than worth it.
Pittsburgh could sign Higgins to a long-term deal and pair him with Pickens for multiple years.
Of course, the Steelers would love to have a star quarterback in place to work with them, but if they can't have that, they can at least have top-tier players to help cover up the shortcomings under center.
Proposed Trade: Pittsburgh acquires Tee Higgins from Cincinnati for 2025 third-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick.
Trade with San Francisco for Brandon Aiyuk
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The San Francisco 49ers could be busy for the remainder of the offseason because Brandon Aiyuk does not have a new contract yet.
Aiyuk has been the topic of plenty of trade conversation in recent months because of the potential deal he deserves.
San Francisco can't pay everyone and it still needs to dish out a large contract to quarterback Brock Purdy.
The 49ers would be wise to move on from Aiyuk now to get something in return for him instead of letting him walk in 2025.
Pittsburgh sets up as an ideal trade partner because it would take Aiyuk out of the NFC and he would damage the 49ers' Super Bowl quest with another NFC team.
The 49ers may be willing to risk it and let Aiyuk walk if they believe he is that important to a Super Bowl push. They would have to be satisfied with a strong trade offer in order for a deal to be made. A second-round pick may do the trick for the Steelers, especially if they are confident they can sign Aiyuk to a big contract.
Proposed Trade: Pittsburgh acquires Brandon Aiyuk for 2025 second-round pick.
Acquire Brandin Cooks from Dallas
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The Steelers may go shopping for a true No. 2 wide receiver if they can't find a star to partner with Pickens.
Brandin Cooks fit that role perfectly with the Dallas Cowboys last season. He could fill it well with the Steelers as well.
The Cowboys are in a position to contend in the NFC, but they have not made many moves to improve their offense.
A Cooks trade would be strange, but it would also open up playing time for Jaden Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin.
Cooks' last 1,000-yard season came in 2021 and the Cowboys may sell to help position themselves for the future in the 2025 draft.
The Steelers could offer up a third-round pick, or one on Day 3, to lure Dallas into the deal no matter how unlikely it looks on paper.
Proposed Trade: Pittsburgh acquires Brandin Cooks from Dallas for 2025 third-round pick.
