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Steelers Next WR Trade Might Be Emerging

The Pittsburgh Steelers should make a phone call to the NFC South.

Noah Strackbein

Dec 31, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) during warm-ups against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) during warm-ups against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers need wide receiver help, and even if head coach Mike Tomlin says he's confident in the group they have, there's a glaring need for improvement.

To this point, George Pickens has caught eight passes for 114 yards. Without penalties in Week 2, he would add another 50 yards and a touchdown to that total. Behind him, tight end Pat Freiermuth and running back Jaylen Warren are the second and third leading receivers. The next two wide receivers on the list? Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin, who have combined for five receptions and 28 yards.

The Steelers might have an option, though. They've already made one trade with the Carolina Panthers this year. But instead of sending a wide receiver to the NFC, this time, they could call about bringing one to Pittsburgh.

It's not Diontae Johnson. While the long-time Steeler deserves a better situation than the one he's in with the Panthers, the Steelers wouldn't consider it. If the reports of moving on because of attitude concerns are true, Pittsburgh has already moved on for good.

Instead, they should call about Adam Thielen.

The 34-year-old has remained one of the most reliable and consistent pass-catchers in the NFL for nearly a decade. Last season, he had his third-most receiving yards with 1,014, adding four touchdowns, bringing his career total to 59, with 34 of those coming in the last four seasons.

A superstar? At 34, it's hard to say any wide receiver is. But the Steelers would be adding a reliable No. 2 that can be a constant and reliable contributor. Eventually, teams are going to start putting all their attention on Pickens. Thielen is a real option to help lessen that blow.

As of compensation in a trade, the Steelers could probably get away with a fourth or fith-round draft pick. The Panthers are likely already looking to sell, and Thielen has made it known that things are "boiling over" in Carolina.

"I think when you step in between those lines, you have to be a different type of player, you have to play with emotion. If you don’t, you’re not going to have success. At some point, it boils over, right? You try to be a leader, you try to be mature with how you handle yourself, but at some point it boils over," Thielen said about the moment above.

Thielen would've been, and probably was, brushed over as a candidate for the Steelers months ago, but today, he makes a lot of sense. Pittsburgh has tried to find their WR2 all summer. The next time their options would become available was once teams started cashing in and looking toward the future. The Panthers may be there, and Thielen may be the next best option for the Steelers.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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