Tim Benz: Assume huge gap between what Steelers are saying about WR search and what’s really going on
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan appeared on Tuesday’s “Pat McAfee Show” with an update on his team’s hunt for a veteran starting wide receiver.
The update is that there is no update.
That conversation has been in high gear since Diontae Johnson was traded to Carolina in early March, creating a significant hole at wideout on the Steelers’ depth chart. It ramped up Monday when former Steeler turned CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden sent out a tweet suggesting that Khan was getting close to making a splashy move of some sort.
On McAfee’s show, Khan tamped down that speculation, at least as it related to specific rumors about two potential star receivers on the San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
“I heard about it. I didn’t exactly see it,” Khan said of the rumors. “There’s nothing going on right now. I’m not exactly sure what the verbiage was or what was reported. But, (there is) nothing to report.”
When I hear Khan claim there is “nothing to report,” my assumption is that there actually is something to report, and he’s just avoiding that confirmation. Or there is “nothing to report” because there were conversations with the 49ers that didn’t go anywhere. Or there are ongoing conversations, but they just aren’t with the 49ers.
My suspicions were advanced by a post from Denver-based NFL reporter Benjamin Allbright on Tuesday, stating that the Steelers have been actively calling teams about a receiver.
“Sutton” is Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton, who has been linked to the Steelers in trade banter since he decided to avoid voluntary workouts while hunting for a contract extension. As for “DK,” that’s Seahawks star pass catcher DK Metcalf. At 26 years old, Metcalf has recorded three 1,000-yard receiving seasons. In 2023, he posted 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns. A two-time Pro Bowler entering his sixth season, Metcalf is slated to make $24.5 million against the salary cap this year and $29.5 million in 2025.
Via OverTheCap.com, even a post-June 1 deal would result in $7.5 million in dead money for the Seahawks despite $17 million in savings. That said (unless things have changed since last summer), Metcalf and Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson maintained a good relationship dating back to their time together in Seattle prior to Wilson’s trade to Denver in 2022.
So maybe that’s a story to track, but the issue of compensation from the Steelers would no doubt be significant.
