Are the Steelers “losers” for not making a move at the trade deadline?
The Steelers elected not to make a trade to acquire help for the 2025 season before yesterday’s deadline, and it’s necessary to have an opinion. In today’s binary culture, everything has to churn through the winners-and-losers filter. Even when you don’t do anything, of course, you still have no choice but to play the game.
So the Steelers didn’t make a trade at the deadline: are they winners, or losers, or dare I say, neither? After all, lest we forget, they did make a trade last week, and it worked out. Swapping late-round picks, they added veteran S Kyle Dugger at minimal cost, and he started Sunday’s game.
Had the Steelers made the trade for Dugger at the deadline rather than last week, would we be calling them winners now? No, they didn’t add a wide receiver, but the market for the position wasn’t exactly cheap. And if they weren’t adding a Jakobi Meyers type of player who is a clear upgrade over Calvin Austin III, you have to strongly evaluate the cost-benefit analysis. Sure, their depth isn’t necessarily great, but you can find depth. I mean, they’re hardly even using Scotty Miller, and there’s Ke’Shawn Williams, too. And perhaps no other team has more tight ends and running backs they throw to.
In making no moves at the trade deadline, the Steelers obviously did not improve their roster. You can argue that they were “losers” in that sense, but overpaying is also a losing prospect. Did they “win” with Mike Williams last year? Should they have spent another fifth-round pick on a wide receiver who would catch maybe 15 passes?
Or perhaps the Steelers were “winners” at the trade deadline for not being one of the teams overspending for minute gains. Sure, there are instances in which an in-season acquisition plays a big role for a team, but it’s far more common to see the opposite. At the very least, they left their draft capital intact for the future, which was a season-long priority.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The 2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
