Mike McCarthy Addresses Steelers Trade Deadline Urgency

The Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach was asked if the team changes their sense of urgency because of other teams' moves.

Oct 25, 2026; Paris, FRA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy stands on the field to question a call during a game against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at Stade de France Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy isn't wasting too much of his time or energy worrying about the impending NFL trade deadline, nor has he ever really done so.

During his press conference as the Steelers return from their Week 9 bye and get set to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football in Week 10, McCarthy joked that he didn't even know when the trade deadline was for a large portion of his time as a head coach.

"I spent a decade in my life as a head coach, I didn't know when the hell the trade deadline was. I just knew it was somewhere around the middle of the season," McCarthy said.

McCarthy, who was originally asked if seeing other contending teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars be aggressive on the trade market could motivate Pittsburgh to make some moves, stated that his focus is on the players currently in the building and that he has confidence in the organization's brain trust to handle all of the deadline activity.

"I get it, everybody wants to improve their roster, and I have great confidence in [general manager] Omar [Khan] and [owner] Art [Rooney II] if there's something there, we'll do the right thing," McCarthy said. "But I think it's very important for me as the head coach to keep my eye on the target, and that's the 68-plus [players] that are in the building. So if we add someone that's gonna help us win, everybody would be for that... The most important thing is, I've always done this, I worry about the ones that are here. Coach the ones that are here and keep building what we got going. We have a lot of positive energy going right now, and we got a big-time game, Sunday Night Football in Cincinnati."

Oct 11, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (0) runs with the ball after a made catch against the Houston Texans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Might Steelers Do Before the Trade Deadline?

As has been the case for over a month at this point, all eyes are on the wide receiver market for the Steelers.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler stated that Pittsburgh "doesn't want to give up a lot of draft capital" for a receiver during an appearance on "The Aftermath" and mentioned Tennessee Titans veteran Calvin Ridley as a player who might "make sense in that regard."

The likes of Josh Downs (Indianapolis Colts) and Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars) have been connected to the Steelers over recent weeks, though if the organization really isn't comfortable paying up for players in that sort of tier, they might have to settle for someone like Ridley or Jauan Jennings (Minnesota Vikings) in exchange for a late Day 3 pick.

Cornerback is another position to watch for Pittsburgh, though it's been a bit quiet on that front over recent days, and the team's priority at the moment appears to be adding a receiver rather than supplementing their secondary.