The Pittsburgh Steelers will almost certainly be in the market for wide receiver talent in 2025, and one hot name on the trade market could be New York Jets’ rising star Garrett Wilson.
Wilson has voiced frustration regarding his usage and target share in recent weeks, but the larger issue could be the fact that the Jets are closing out yet another losing season in Week 18. And that’s despite Wilson — the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year — surpassing the 1,000-yard receiving mark in all three of his NFL seasons.
Bleacher Report writer Alex Kay listed the Steelers as one of the five most likely landing spots for Wilson via trade, let’s say the 24-year-old forces their hand this spring or summer.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers have many of the pieces in place to contend—evidenced by the squad clinching a playoff berth back in Week 15—but they still have an uphill battle to reach the Super Bowl largely because of their offensive woes,” Kay noted. “The most glaring problem with the roster is a lack of receiving talent, an issue that could be quickly remedied via a trade for Garrett Wilson.”
Later, the Bleacher Report analyst argued that the Steelers “would heavily benefit from augmenting [George] Pickens with another elite receiving weapon, a move that would greatly open things up for an offense that currently ranks around the league average.”
“While the Steelers did try to acquire proven pass-catchers during the offseason and up until the 2024 trade deadline—notably putting offers on the table for Brandon Aiyuk and expressing interest in Davante Adams—they were forced to settle for Mike Williams,” Kay reminded. “That move unsurprisingly failed to move the needle and still leaves the Steelers in the market for a new wideout.”
Why Would Jets Trade WR Garrett Wilson?
Obviously, the Jets would not prefer to trade a talent like Wilson. That goes without saying.
Having said that, Kay detailed why the Wilson situation may not be so easy to fix.
“On Sunday, [December 29], the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shed light on the rift between the young receiver and aging signal-caller,” Kay began. “Rapoport said that sources close to Garrett ‘believe he’s been frustrated at the lack of looks from [quarterback Aaron] Rodgers’ and noted that a trade is ‘one of the options for how to proceed’ should the quarterback return for the 2025 campaign.”
But what if the Jets part ways with Rodgers? Could they then repair their relationship with the rising star? Presumably, yes, although Wilson would likely want to know the QB plan going forward — considering he’s endured several changes at the position since joining the organization.
And at the end of the day, that decision depends on the direction of the franchise as a whole.
The Jets must hire a new general manager and head coach in 2025. That tandem could see this as a longer rebuild in New York, which could mean trading Wilson at peak value rather than paying him somewhere around $24 million per year after his fifth-year option in 2026.
After all, a haul of draft capital could help an incoming GM expedite the rebuild, and Wilson could provide that haul.
“If the Jets do decide to deal Wilson, they can expect to net a hefty amount of draft capital and other assets in return,” Kay noted. “The San Francisco 49ers received several offers that included multiple Day 2 draft picks and serviceable veterans in exchange for Brandon Aiyuk—a receiver nearly two years older than Wilson who was far less productive during his first three NFL seasons.”
That — plus the player wanting a change of scenery — could be enough reason to consider a trade.
Steelers Must Re-Sign Russell Wilson If They Plan to Go All-In on Garrett Wilson or Any Other WR Trade
The reality of the Steelers’ quarterback situation is that re-signing Russell Wilson will most likely be Pittsburgh’s best option. It’s thought to be a weaker QB draft class in 2025, and Wilson and backup Justin Fields could potentially headline the free agency class if a player like Sam Darnold gets franchise tagged.
That doesn’t leave many options for the Steelers in terms of upgrading the position.
Unless, of course, someone like Kirk Cousins or Rodgers shakes free — and it’s debatable if either of those two veteran QBs are better than Wilson at this stage of their respective careers.
And keep in mind that the Rodgers route likely wouldn’t work well with Garrett Wilson, given their issues in New York.
Furthermore, if the Steelers go all-in on a wide receiver trade, they must also commit to their best win-now quarterback option in Russell Wilson.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Steelers Among Favorites to Trade for First-Round WR With Superstar Potential appeared first on Heavy Sports.
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