Tag: Omar Khan

Justin Fields injury gives Steelers upper hand in Bears trade

Justin Fields’ absence cements a favorable draft pick outcome for the Steelers, turning a conditional trade into a clear win.

It is never a good feeling for fans when their favorite team’s players suffer an injury of any kind. This is especially true for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup QB Justin Fields, whose absence not only heavily weakens the depth behind QB Russell Wilson but also results in the loss of the ever-dynamic ‘Fields rushing packages.’

However, Fields missing his team’s Week 16 contest against the Baltimore Ravens complicates the Steelers-Bears trade in favor of the Black and Gold.

One condition of the trade that saw the Pittsburgh Steelers send a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears is that Fields would need to play over 51 percent of snaps for the pick to become a fourth-round draft selection. As fans can guess, his Week 16 absence makes this completely impossible now.

Early in the season, with Fields starting six games straight to open the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 campaign, it was expected the Bears would receive a fourth-round draft pick.

Wilson’s emergence not only changed the offense for the better, but it now seems to have assisted in what can only be described as a slam-dunk trade by Steelers GM Omar Khan.

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Could Steelers lose Odell Beckham Jr. sweepstakes to AFC North Rival?

Could Steelers lose out on OBJ to the Ravens, as Lamar Jackson’s MVP-caliber play and Diontae Johnson’s uncertain future spark debate?

The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In regards to which teams may sign the recently released Odell Beckham Jr., the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Los Angeles Rams were considered the odds-on favorites to sign OBJ, according to Bovada.

However, with Rams HC Sean McVay describing the team’s reluctance to pursue Beckham, this kicked the door wide open for Steelers GM Omar Khan to pull off the heist of the century.

Beckham had previously spent time on the Rams and the Ravens, and while Los Angeles is seemingly out of the hunt, Baltimore is showing signs of needing additional talent at the WR position.

Former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson is practically one foot in, one foot out of the Ravens organization, and Beckham may prefer to play in an organization he played for previously.

With Ravens QB Lamar Jackson lighting up defenses with his arm and legs, the two-time MVP award winner may present Beckham an opportunity he simply can’t pass up to close out the 2024 season.

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Steelers could cash in thanks to big salary cap bump for 2025

The Steelers can use every penny of that extra salary cap next offseason.

As much as we all want to just sit back and enjoy the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are eyeing a brutal offseason when it comes to contracts. There are multiple guys who will be looking for big paydays and when it comes to the salary cap, it always takes some manipulation.

But according to ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL could see a nice bump according to buzz coming out of the owner’s meetings.

The NFL conducted its labor seminar during this week’s owners meetings in Irving, Texas,” Fowler wrote. “Team officials would have loved to walk away from the session with a set salary cap for 2025, but they didn’t get one. That usually comes closer to free agency. Still, a few team officials predicted that the cap would land around $275 million, roughly an 8% increase from the $255.4 million figure in 2024.

The Steelers have four positions to address in the offseason where this extra cap space can help. The front office needs to decide between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson as the quarterback of the future, whether they can afford running back Najee Harris and contract extensions for wide receiver George Pickens and edge defender T.J. Watt.

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Did the Steelers lose the WR Mike Williams trade?

Mike Williams continues to struggle for playing time and production with the Steelers, raising questions about the trade’s value.

Another week of Black and Gold football, another week of disappointment for fans hoping to see the not-so-newly acquired WR Mike Williams make an impact for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Critics of the Steelers’ use of Williams appear to be beating a dead horse, as he continues to see minimal involvement despite being in Pittsburgh for almost a month now.

Even with WR Calvin Austin III sidelined due to an injury in Week 13—and the NFL commentary team suggesting that Williams should be able to contribute with a better understanding of the playbook—the wide receiver finished with an unimpressive stat line of zero targets, zero catches, zero total yards, and just 17 total snaps on offense against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Since being acquired by Pittsburgh, Williams has played only seven, 15, and 11 snaps in Weeks 10–12, respectively. To make matters worse, Austin and WR Van Jefferson have been steadily outperforming him.

Once again, Williams finds himself buried in a crowded wide receiver room, and at this point, it seems Steelers GM Omar Khan traded a 2025 fifth-round pick to the New York Jets, and took on Williams’ remaining salary, for practically nothing.

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Former Steelers All-Pro WR teases return to Pittsburgh on social media

Antonio Brown teased on social media that he still hopes to rejoin the Steelers in 2024, and even offered to play for free.

The Antonio Brown-Pittsburgh redemption story continues! While fans of the Steel City were ecstatic to welcome back the former All-Pro WR and fellow member of the Killer B’s trio, former Steelers All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell, no one could have predicted that Brown still yearns to play for the Black and Gold in 2024.

It appears Brown wasn’t satisfied with simply representing the Black and Gold as a spectator during his Week 7 return to Pittsburgh. Brown stated on social media that his offer to finish out the 2024 season as a member of the Steelers roster still stands.

No one can deny the threat that a Russell Wilson-led Steelers offense would pose with A.B., George Pickens, and Mike Williams tearing through opposing secondaries.

Should General Manager Omar Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin take a chance on the 36-year-old wide receiver? His untimely and shocking exit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their Week 17 game of the 2021 season was the last time his talents graced an NFL field, but he has recently done his best to turn over a new leaf.

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Should Steelers claim former second-round WR off waivers?

Should the Steelers claim Tyquan Thornton off waivers to bolster their wide receiver room and add more speed to their offensive attack?

What a difference a few weeks make! Heading into the trade deadline, the New England Patriots’ lightning-fast WR Tyquan Thornton was one of many receivers linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers as a potential trade target.

However, Pittsburgh ultimately pulled the trigger on a trade that brought New York Jets WR Mike Williams to the Steel City. Now, it appears the Patriots have moved on from Thornton as well.

On Saturday, insider Adam Schefter reported that the New England Patriots would be releasing their former 2022 second-round receiver. Thornton ran an impressive 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL Combine but struggled to make an impact during his three seasons with the Patriots, recording 39 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns in 28 games.

Steelers GM Omar Khan could once again showcase his decision-making prowess by adding Thornton’s speed to an already dangerous Pittsburgh offense.

Steelers’ wide receivers George Pickens, Mike Williams, Calvin Austin III, and the potential addition of Thornton would give QB Russell Wilson the tools to cook any opposing secondary.

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Could Preston Smith be the lifeline for Steelers defense?

With Alex Highsmith set to miss time with an ankle injury, the Preston Smith acquisition may have saved the Steelers’ defense.

When Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and the Steelers front office acquired OLB Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, many began to speculate if this was the biggest steal of the trade deadline. Alex Highsmith’s apparent ankle injury in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders further solidifies Smith’s acquisition as one of the greatest trades of 2024.

While backup Nick Herbig performed admirably, the Steelers went 2-2 in games that Highsmith missed, highlighting the need for a veteran edge rusher opposite T.J. Watt.

Smith, having played 156 games with 138 starts in his 10-year career, is exactly what could save the Steelers’ defense with Highsmith set to miss time.

Used sparingly in Week 10, Smith still managed to record a sack on rookie QB Jayden Daniels.

The ‘Khan Artist’ truly struck gold in acquiring Smith’s talents, and this move could reshape the entire landscape of the Pittsburgh defense. The 31-year old Smith will look to fill the void left by Highsmith, and aims to start with sacking Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson in Week 11.

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What should fans expect from Mike Williams’ Week 10 Steelers debut?

With Mike Williams set to debut in Week 10, the Pittsburgh Steelers face questions about his role and impact amid recent WR trade trends.

What a difference a week makes! Heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye in Week 9, uncertainty surrounded the wide receiver position as a whole. However, GM Omar Khan alleviated these concerns at the November 5 deadline by acquiring WR Mike Williams from the New York Jets.

Fans are now left with a new pair of questions: Will Williams contribute immediately, and if so, what will his impact look like?

If you asked QB Russell Wilson, he might say Williams’ presence will be felt all over the field, as his athletic prowess allows him to do virtually anything. However, OC Arthur Smith is particularly excited about Williams’ potential impact in the run game.

Looking at other similar situations for reference, WR Diontae Johnson, WR Amari Cooper, and former All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins all played limited snap counts in their debuts with new teams—averaging around just 30% of snaps played.

Could Williams follow a similar precedent and be used sparingly while he acclimates to the new offense? Or will his physical traits allow the team to utilize him more extensively in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders?

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Insider believes Steelers pursued D.K. Metcalf at trade deadline

After an eventful trade deadline, insider Jeremy Fowler believes Pittsburgh was one of several teams in inquire about a D.K. Metcalf trade.

It appears Pittsburgh’s trade to acquire WR Mike Williams, which Steelers fans have excitedly embraced, may not have happened if the Seattle Seahawks hadn’t treated trade talks as a “nonstarter,” per insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

In an ESPN article co-written with fellow insider Dan Graziano, Fowler revealed several interesting and previously unheard details from the trade deadline. One notable scoop was Fowler’s claim that not only did Pittsburgh “scour the earth for receiver help,” but the ESPN insider also believes the Steelers were one of several teams to inquire about a possible trade for Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf.

While a Russell Wilson-Metcalf reunion would have been an amazing sight for fans of the Black and Gold to behold, the trade would likely have been far too expensive for Steelers’ GM Omar Khan‘s tastes.

There is no refuge in looking back at what could have been, as the team now has a bona fide WR2, and the Wilson-Williams combo could be ‘DangeRuss.’

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Pittsburgh radio host describes rumored trade package for Jaguars’ WR

Pittsburgh radio host Andrew Filliponi of 93.7 The Fan discussed the rumored trade package for WR Christian Kirk, prior to his injury.

It is rumored that the ‘Khan Artist’ was nearly conned at his own game. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ General Manager Omar Khan is beloved in the Steel City for his stellar draft selections, trade negotiations, and free agency signings.

However, a rumor coined by Pittsburgh radio host Andrew Filliponi of 93.7 The Fan, described on social media, suggests that the Steelers were extremely close to overpaying in a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars WR Christian Kirk, prior to his season-ending collarbone injury.

According to Filliponi, the rumor claimed Pittsburgh would have sent a 2025 third-round draft selection to Jacksonville in exchange for Kirk..

While fans should take the rumor with a grain of salt, if true, the Steelers’ trade for New York Jets WR Mike Williams looks even more outstanding, as the 2025 fifth-round compensation given up is nowhere near as valuable as a third-round draft pick.

Williams should fit nicely into the offensive scheme in Pittsburgh, and fans could catch a glimpse of the Russell Wilson-Williams connection as early as Week 10, when the Steelers take on the Commanders on November 10th at 1:00 PM EST.

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