Steelers Reportedly 'Scouring the Earth' for WR Trade to Help Aaron Rodgers, Offense

Amid a strong 4-2 start to the season and good play from Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers are keeping an eye on the trade market for ways to boost their offense.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (starts at 1:25 mark), the Steelers are "scouring the earth" for wide receivers who might be available via trade to complement DK Metcalf.

Even though defensive help would seem like the priority in Pittsburgh, the club does need a reliable second option in the passing game.

Metcalf leads the Steelers with 22 receptions, 406 yards and four touchdowns. He has more than twice as many receiving yards as any other player on the team. Tight end Pat Freiermuth ranks second with 184 yards.

The No. 2 receiver by yards is Calvin Austin III with 139. No other wide receiver on the team has more than 100 yards entering Week 8.

Fowler specifically cited Jakobi Meyers as a potential target for the Steelers. The 28-year-old has 329 yards in six games with the Las Vegas Raiders this season. He is also in the final season of his three-year, $33 million contract and likely wouldn't command much of a return in a trade.

Jaylen Waddle was also another name mentioned, though Fowler noted the Miami Dolphins haven't indicated at this point a willingness to make any big moves.

Calvin Ridley of the Tennessee Titans has been discussed as a potential trade candidate. His situation could be complicated by his contract, which runs through 2027 and has cap hits over $26 million in each of the next two years. He is also still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 6 that will keep him out for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

There is only $3 million in guaranteed money left on Ridley's deal after 2025, so it wouldn't be difficult to get out of the contract if a team wanted to do so.

The Steelers are entering a very difficult stretch of the season that could determine their status as AFC playoff contenders. Their next three games starting on Sunday are against the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers.

Those three teams are a combined 15-5-1, with the Colts and Packers currently owning the No. 1 seed in their respective conference. The Steelers' lone win over a team with a winning record so far was against the New England Patriots in Week 3.

Sunday's result against a Packers team with one of the best defenses in the NFL could determine how aggressive general manager Omar Khan wants to get with adding receiver help before the Nov. 4 trade deadline.