Too many teams in the running for the NFL playoffs were content to wait until the last minute to make a trade in order to improve their team. The Pittsburgh Steelers, no. Their aggressiveness wasn’t overlooked, even if Omar Khan and the front staff failed to sign any superstars before the deadline passed. Clearly in ‘win now’ mode, Pittsburgh is trying to take advantage of a Super Bowl window. Their initiatives are already receiving praise.Judy Battista of NFL.com listed the greatest winners and losers from the 2024 NFL trade deadline the morning after it ended. Due to their surprising move to strengthen an already formidable defence and their refusal to settle for second best at wide receiver, the Steelers made it onto the winners list.
“[Pittsburgh has] been looking for a wide receiver all season — remember Brandon Aiyuk watch? — and finally got Mike Williams to team with George Pickens.,” Battista stated.”…Their trade for pass rusher Preston Smith reinforces one of the league’s best defences, adds depth to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and, again, will help the Steelers when they face the barrage of elite quarterbacks coming up.” Many supporters questioned whether the Steelers could make a trade that would strengthen their roster for the second half of the season with just hours to go before the deadline. They were successful.
The Steelers’ recent trade additions may be crucial in 2024.
The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired two seasoned football players who have a long history in this league and a strong track record, even though they barely made the century’s biggest transaction. Regarding the Mike Williams deal, Steelers supporters were divided. With quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Jets, the Chargers’ once 1,000-yard receiver was having a terrible season. Williams still has size and body control on his side, but he lacks the burst and explosive he previously possessed. A change of surroundings is supposed to inspire new life, according to fans.
In an offence that has George Pickens in the passing game, Williams, 30, will immediately be Pittsburgh’s WR2 regardless of whether he has lost a stride. It seems like a nice combination for quarterback Russell Wilson to have a deep threat and the ability to box opponents out down the field. Nobody anticipated Pittsburgh’s pursuit of an edge defender, and Preston Smith is exactly what the doctor ordered on the defensive end of the ball. The Steelers recently acquired a man who can assist with both pass-rush depth and run-stopping, two areas in which they have occasionally struggled this season due to injury.
As a run defender, Smith is as tough as they come, and he should fit into a healthy rotation that gives Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt some much-needed time off. Pittsburgh now possesses the NFL’s best group of edge rushers, according to some NFL analysts.
Given that they are both in their early 30s, neither player is anticipated to be a future mainstay. Instead, they are seasoned veterans who will immediately assist this club. These elements are exactly what the Steelers need to contend in the playoffs, especially since their quarterback turns 36 this month.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot afford to take things easy as the NFL trade deadline draws near. Russell Wilson has given supporters more cause for optimism than we could have ever imagined, and Mike Tomlin’s club is 6-2 going into the second half of the season, much to the surprise of many. The Steelers are a legitimate top-10 team in the NFL, according to the most recent NFL power rankings, and strengthening their squad in the final hours before the deadline might increase their chances of making a long playoff run. These are the three trades Pittsburgh needs to make right now.