Steelers Nearly Landed WR at Trade Deadline

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers were searching for wide receiver help all season, and with the trade deadline passing, they made an effort to land multiple options. They walked away empty handed, but according to one insider, they thought they had a deal in their hands.

Speaking on the KDKA Steelers Kickoff Show, insider Gerry Dulac revealed that the Steelers thoughts they had a deal in place at the deadline, but in the final moments, things vanished.

"I will tell you they certainly tried," Dulac said. "In fact, they thought they actually had a deal for a wide receiver, would’ve been a quality wide receiver, and it just kind of fell through. And not from their end."

The Steelers were linked to multiple wideouts, and made an effort to land both Jakobi Meyers and Rashid Shaheed before they were both moved. Meyers went from the Las Vegas Raiders and Shaheed went from the New Orleans Saints to Seattle Seahawks.

Pittsburgh didn't add anyone.

Who Could the WR Have Been?

The Steelers were known to be in on Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins, but the wideout wasn't moved. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Steelers were one of two teams who were in on Waddle at the deadline.

"The Dolphins held firm on wanting a first-rounder and maybe more for Waddle and despite calls from teams such as the Steelers and Broncos, he stayed in Miami," Rapoport said.

Miami was looking for a first-round pick in exchange for their top wide receiver, and Pittsburgh did not budge.

Oct 12, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) catches a pass against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images | Rich Storry-Imagn Images

The Steelers were also linked to the Tennessee Titans' Calvin Ridley and Philadelphia Eagles' A.J. Brown, with neither player being moved.

At the last minute, the Steelers were rumored to have called the Arizona Cardinals for Marvin Harrison Jr., but a Steelers source tells Pittsburgh Steelers On SI that those conversations did not go far enough to be considered anything substantial.

MVS Instead

The Steelers did end up signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their practice squad. The former Aaron Rodgers teammate with the Green Bay Packers had to go through some medical checks before signing in Pittsburgh, but the team eventually brought him in.

Now, it's about Valdes-Scantling getting up to speed to see if the team can bring up to the active roster.

With four years of experience with Rodgers, the two may have a connection to make the transition easy for MVS. A process Pittsburgh may need to happen quickly to add their new weapon to the receiving core after not landing anyone else at the deadline.

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