Steelers Have Shown Interest in $33 Million Wide Receiver: Insider
The Pittsburgh Steelers are leading the way in the AFC North with a 4-2 record through six weeks, and while they are fresh off a surprising loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7, there are still a lot of reasons to feel good about the team’s performance so far this season. However, it’s clear that there are some areas of need the front office could be looking to address ahead of the trade deadline.
One such area is the wide receiver, where a No. 2 option has failed to emerge behind DK Metcalf to this point. With several players expected to be on the market ahead of the upcoming deadline, reports have indicated that the Steelers are showing interest in star Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Steelers Exploring Potential Jakobi Meyers Trade
Over the offseason, Pittsburgh swung a massive trade with the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver DK Metcalf, seemingly giving them a solid tandem at wide receiver with George Pickens also in town. Pickens ended up getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys, though, and guys like Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson have struggled to step up and produce alongside Metcalf.
That could lead to a potential deal for Meyers, who has been viewed as a trade target all season long. With Meyers entering the final year of his contract with the Raiders, he wanted a new deal that he did not get during the offseason, leading to him requesting a trade before the start of the season. While he has continued playing for Las Vegas, he still wants to get dealt before the upcoming deadline.
The Steelers need help at wide receiver, which makes them an obvious potential landing spot for Meyers should the Raiders decide to unload him. According to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Meyers is just one of several wide receiver trade targets that Pittsburgh has checked in on with the deadline drawing near.
“Pittsburgh, they are scouring the earth for wide receiver help, they’re looking around,” Fowler said on “SportsCenter.” “Las Vegas has Jakobi Meyers as an option … There could be a receiver moved at the deadline. Pittsburgh could be involved in those conversations.”
Should the Steelers Trade for Jakobi Meyers?
GettyLas Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Despite playing in the Raiders’ abysmal offense, Meyers has still managed to put up decent numbers through six games, catching 29 passes for 329 yards. On paper, he’d be a solid complement for the big-play threat that Metcalf is, as Meyers excels at working out of the slot and getting open on short-to-intermediate routes.
If Meyers is up for grabs, the Steelers would be foolish not to try to get a deal done for him. Bringing him to town wouldn’t only give Rodgers another reliable option in the passing game, but it would also take some of the attention off of Metcalf from opposing secondaries. He may be a somewhat pricy option, but after putting together an aggressive offseason, swinging a deal for Meyers seems like a real possibility with the trade deadline just over a week away.
Backing the Saints' Chris Olave among top NFL player prop expert's best bets for Week 8
Expert Alex Selesnick, who is up $3,003 on all prop picks since 2021, says to back the New Orleans receiver.
The NFL trade deadline is a little more than a week away, and among the more popular receivers being floated as possible trade candidates is the New Orleans Saints' Chris Olave. Reports have linked Olave with the Bills, Eagles, Giants, Patriots and Steelers, among others.
On some levels, the Saints moving on from the 25-year-old receiver prior to the Nov. 4 deadline makes sense. New Orleans (1-6) remains one of the worst teams in the league, and their timeline to rebuild the franchise into a NFC contender doesn't align with the Olave's prime, which is arguably right now. Also, he is signed only through the 2026 season. If the team does not feel confident in its abilities to extend Olave's contract, it would benefit from getting what it can for him from a receiver-needy team with Super Bowl aspirations.
But with every game this year, the price for Olave is going up. The 6-foot, 187-pound wideout is having a solid comeback season. After missing most of 2024 with multiple concussions, Olave leads New Orleans in virtually very important receiving category, including receptions (44), targets (71), receiving yards (440) and receiving touchdowns (three). He is on pace to set career highs in catches and touchdowns.
In the last two weeks, he has had six catches for 98 yards against the Patriots and five catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears.
"I feel like I'm just getting in my groove, last game, this game," Olave said after last week's game. "So I feel like it's only going to get better."
SportsLine player prop expert Alex Selesnick believes Olave is in store for another big performance on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Selesnick, who is 1,014-805 and up $3,003 on all prop picks since joining SportsLine in 2021, has made Olave Over 61.5 total receiving yards (-118) one of his top three player props for Week 8 of the NFL season.
Selesnick notes that Olave has a favorable matchup against the Buccaneers. The Tampa Bay defense is giving up 229.0 passing yards per game, which ranks 21st in the league. That defense also will be without pass rusher Haason Reddick (ankle, knee), who already has been ruled out, and may be without lineman Vita Vea (foot), who is questionable.
"Olave's target share, targets per route run, first read target rate, and his expected points per game all point to untapped upside," Selesnick says. "In a matchup against a Bucs defense that has been a pass funnel and is missing numerous starters, this is a spot where Olave could deliver another strong performance."
But the speculation of the Saints' trading Olave may be a moot point. He has said that his representation and the front office have been discussing the terms of an extension "since the beginning of the year."
That will certainly make Saints fans happy, much like his play has.
