Steelers QB Decision Could Change WR Search

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan offered an interesting little nugget of information regarding the team's search for wide receiver help this offseason.

During his media availability at the NFL Combine on Tuesday morning, Khan stated that their quarterback decision, which seems likely to come down to either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson at this point in time, will ultimately dictate the type of receiver they look to add as well.

"We'd like to have this done before the start of the league year," Khan said, referring to the timeline for signing a signal caller. "Obviously that impacts who you sign, impacts the type of receiver you may go after or how you build the rest of the team, so all that has an effect."

George Pickens is set to return alongside the likes of Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson in 2025 barring a trade, but Pittsburgh could use another premier weapon to round out the position group.

There's a clear need for someone with size who can line up opposite Pickens on the outside, though how a pursuit of such a player shapes up may look vastly different depending on which signal caller the Steelers choose.

While Fields showed growth from his Chicago Bears days in 2024, he's still far from a finished product as a passer. His mobility raises his margin for error, but a below-average on-target rate of 75.0% while completing just six of his 19 attempts that travelled 20+ yards, per Pro Football Focus, was a cause for concern.

Where Fields did excel last season, however, was in the short game. On throws between zero and nine yards, he converted 72 of his 87 attempts for a 82.8% completion rate, tying for the ninth-highest mark among quarterbacks with at least 75 passes in that area of the field.

The soon-to-be 26-year-old has proven himself capable of stretching the field in the past, particularly in 2023, though Pittsburgh would be wise to find a receiver who matches Fields' strengths based on what he's shown under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

In that case, impending free agent DeAndre Hopkins presents a perfect fit. Though he's lost a step and put up just 56 receptions for 610 yards and five touchdowns over 16 games in 2024, the six-time Pro Bowler hauled in 33 of his 40 targets in the short game while logging 234 yards and three scores.

As for Wilson, he posted the best completion percentage (54.0%) of any signal caller with 25 or more deep attempts this past season.

He was proficient on intermediate and short throws as well, but his success down the field opened up a whole new world of possibilities for the Steelers' offense that weren't necessarily there with Fields at the helm, even if things didn't end well overall.

If the Denver Broncos are willing to deal away Courtland Sutton as he enters the final year of his contract, reuniting him with Wilson would make a ton of sense for Pittsburgh.

Standing at 6-foot-4, Sutton caught 14 of his 26 deep targets for 379 yards and four scores during the 2024 campaign. A 50-50 ball savant who's been a rumored Steelers target for quite some time now, he and Pickens could form quite the intimidating duo with Wilson behind center.

Hopkins and Sutton are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Pittsburgh's potential receiver additions this offseason.

Simply put, however, the team isn't going to make a significant move at the position without first locking up a quarterback as it looks to foster cohesion on offense.

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