The Pittsburgh Steelers need to add wide receivers this offseason. Yes, wide receivers. How the Steelers go about that business is up for debate. Do they go through the draft and perhaps take a page out of new head coach Mike McCarthy’s wide receiver preferences? Or do they go the veteran route?

Chances are, they do both. Beat writer Mark Kaboly has an idea, and it’s a player who the Steelers were looking at last year: Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle.

“The one who’s very interesting to me, and I know he’s not on the block, but a lot of things are happening in Miami right now, is Waddle,” Kaboly said Friday on 93.7 The Fan’s The PM Team. “Because they were definitely interested in him last year at the deadline. Depending on who you believe, Miami pulled out at the last second, or they would have at least an opportunity to acquire him.”

In an ideal world, Jaylen Waddle would be a very welcome addition to the Steelers. In 78 career regular-season games, he has 373 catches for 5,039 yards – an average of 13.5 yards per catch. He also has 26 career touchdowns.

However, there are two main issues with adding Waddle, and both reared their ugly heads at the trade deadline. One, the cost of trading with Miami. According to the Rapoport report above, the Dolphins were asking for at least a first-round pick. The Steelers may have a good number of draft picks, but they only have one first-rounder in 2026. Trading it away is a big deal.

Thankfully, Jaylen Waddle is still young. He won’t turn 28 until November. He should just be entering his prime. That makes paying a high cost a little more palatable.

The second issue? It’s Waddle’s current contract with the Dolphins. Waddle and Miami agreed to a three-year, $84.75 million contract extension back in 2024 that actually didn’t kick in until this year. Making this move would require plenty of general manager Omar Khan’s magic.

“The money is just crazy past this year…” Kaboly said. “They would have to restructure. They’d have to rip it up and do it again. I mean, Omar’s very good at that.”

Waddle’s contract and the issues that will hold up any potential Waddle trade is something Steelers Depot’s Dave Bryan laid out on X. 

Will the Steelers give Miami a call again about the services of Jaylen Waddle? They released his fellow wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Monday. That means the Dolphins might be even more reticent to part with a quality playmaker at the position.

However, draft picks have a way of opening doors you’d never expect to be open. Plus, the Dolphins look like they could be gearing up for a reset. The more ammunition the new brain trust in Miami has, the better the chances they have of righting the ship. Even if it’s a long shot, keep an eye on Jaylen Waddle. He’d certainly be a big-time boost to the Steelers’ wide receiver corps.