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The Pittsburgh Steelers were widely reported to be in the market for a wide receiver at the trade deadline, but they were unable to snag either of the two big-named players at the position who were ultimately moved.
Those two big names were Jakobi Meyers and Rashid Shaheed, who were traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, and for reasonable prices, too.
That led many to wonder if the Steelers simply weren't aggressive enough in their pursuits of those players, but it turns out the reason for not acquiring either of the two players is much worse.
According to Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports, general manager Omar Khan made the same offer to the New Orleans Saints as the Seahawks — a fourth- and fifth-round pick — but Shaheed simply preferred to go to Seattle, where he was reunited with his former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
"That being said, according to a team source, Khan offered the Saints the same package as the Seahawks for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed -- a fourth- and fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Shaheed preferred to go to Seattle to reunite with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, whom he played under last season in New Orleans, so the Saints accepted the package that honored their player's wishes," Halicke reported.
And, it appears to be the same story with Meyers, who was given the choice to go to the Jaguars or Steelers, both of whom offered fourth- and sixth-round picks, but chose the former, according to Mark Kaboly.
"Steelers insider Mark Kaboly says the Steleers offered the Raiders 4th and 6th round picks just like the Jaguars. The Raiders let Meyers pick where he wanted to go. And he chose THE JAGUARS!!!!" 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi relayed.
Yikes.
That's a tough look for the Steelers, who were passed up by not just one, but two different receivers, which shows there isn't much interest in joining a Steelers offense that currently ranks first in passing yards per game.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Pittsburgh's Arthur Smith-led offense.
We get Shaheed's decision because the Seahawks are just a better team overall, but Meyers choosing the Jaguars and Lawrence over the Steelers and Rodgers is the one that really surprises us.
Even at this late stage in his career, Rodgers is a better quarterback than Lawrence, and there is less competition for targets in Pittsburgh's wide receivers room when everyone is healthy in Jacksonville, which should have been more attractive for Meyers, who is set to be a free agent in 2026 and needs to post big numbers.
We'll find out if Shaheed and Meyers ended up making the right decision in due time, but for now these rumors are a tough blow for a Steelers team that remains short on reliable wide receivers.
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