Why Pittsburgh Steelers Are Refusing To Make A Move Before The NFL Trade Deadline Despite Aaron Rodgers’ WR Concerns

Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf are the receivers that the Steelers are counting© Image via: X/@Pittsburgh Steelers

The phone lines stay quiet at Steelers headquarters this week. Pittsburgh is 6-2, leads the AFC North and sits on a bye, with the NFL trade deadline arriving at 4 p.m. ET on November 10. Rivals will chase upgrades before then. The Steelers seem happy to watch. Reporters who follow the team closely say no big receiver deal is coming, and Aaron Rodgers will head into the second half with the same group that built this record. It is a bold call for a franchise that has waited a decade for a playoff win.

Michael Pittman Jr. Is The Pittsburgh Steelers' Real Trade Deadline Move

Gerry Dulac covers the team for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and he fielded questions during the bye week. One reader asked about spending draft picks on a receiver. His answer was blunt.

"They are not doing that," he wrote. "They already did that when they traded for Pittman."

He means Michael Pittman Jr., who arrived in March. Pittsburgh pictured him beside DK Metcalf, easing the load on the passing game. So far that plan has stalled. Pittman has played three games, caught seven passes for 89 yards and landed on injured reserve. Roman Wilson is on injured reserve too.

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— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 5, 2026

That changes how the front office likely sees the next few weeks. A healthy return from either receiver counts as a fresh addition, and it costs no new picks. Why pay twice for a position when the first payment has barely had a chance to work?

Aaron Rodgers And Jaylen Warren Give The Pittsburgh Steelers A Reason To Wait

ESPN's Bill Barnwell reached a matching view in his deadline roundup of contenders. He sees a team with very little left to patch, apart from some depth in the secondary.

"You could make the case that the Steelers should consider adding a defensive back for depth purposes, but most of the places where Pittsburgh would want to upgrade are already occupied by veterans who aren't going to be moving out of the lineup, such as Rodgers, Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey," he says. "The guys who are going to get the Steelers out of the wild-card round, if they exist, are already on the roster."

The receiver numbers show why fans feel restless. Metcalf leads the team with 378 yards, though he has fallen short of what many expected. Germie Bernard is next among true receivers with 284. Rodgers has filled the gap with Jaylen Warren, Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth, and the ground game carries much of the offense.

After 4 p.m. ET on November 10, the roster is locked. Whatever Pittsburgh does about nine seasons without a playoff win, it will do with these players.