{"id":273111,"date":"2025-11-05T13:45:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T13:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/273111\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T13:45:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T13:45:07","slug":"tim-benz-reasons-the-all-in-steelers-stayed-out-of-nfl-trades-none-of-which-i-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/273111\/","title":{"rendered":"Tim Benz: Reasons the ‘all-in’ Steelers stayed out of NFL trades \u2014 none of which I like"},"content":{"rendered":"

The allegedly \u201call<\/a>–in<\/a>\u201d Pittsburgh Steelers stayed out of NFL trade deadline moves. <\/p>\n

Tuesday\u2019s 4 p.m. deadline came and went. The Steelers did nothing<\/a>. <\/p>\n

How come?<\/p>\n

Well, there are a few explanations \u2014 none of which I really like.<\/p>\n

\u2022 It\u2019s possible the Steelers feel that their 27-20 upset of the Colts on Sunday got them back on the track they need to make noise in the playoffs with no major additions to their roster. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s unlikely, since coach Mike Tomlin (accurately) pointed out in his postgame press conference that they are \u201cthe same group that stunk it up last week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Tomlin made that comment about the defense specifically. Perhaps the organization thinks its need at safety has been addressed by moving Jalen Ramsey there and trading for Kyle Dugger last week.<\/p>\n

But given that the coach still brought up the depth issues at that position Tuesday afternoon \u2014 with DeShon Elliott and Jabrill Peppers injured and Chuck Clark sick \u2014 it strikes me that some additional help at that position would\u2019ve been useful.<\/p>\n

To say nothing of cornerback being weakened by Ramsey moving to safety for the immediate future<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 You could argue that the Steelers got the receiving help they needed by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. <\/p>\n

However, Tomlin threw cold water on that notion by dismissively referring to him as \u201cjust a practice squader right now\u201d during his Tuesday presser. <\/p>\n

\u201cGet him in the fold and get him working,\u201d Tomlin added. \u201cCheck his overall level of conditioning, how he learns and some of those things. It is not the Dugger discussion. He\u2019s just a practice squad guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

So maybe the answer simply is that general manager Omar Khan did some \u201cshopping\u201d (as Mike Tomlin described) and he found the price tags to be too high for certain players of interest.<\/p>\n

The Steelers were linked to Las Vegas receiver Jakobi Meyers<\/a> and New Orleans pass catcher Rashid Shaheed<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Meyers went to the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> for fourth and sixth-round picks. The Seattle Seahawks got Shaheed<\/a> for a fourth-round and a fifth-round pick. <\/p>\n

If Khan and Tomlin were truly interested in either player, I would\u2019ve gladly met or exceeded those packages for either receiver. The Steelers have 12 picks next year<\/a>, including multiple picks in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. Hoarding all of those picks when receiver is still a significant need seems silly to me.<\/p>\n

Especially if Valdes-Scantling is truly \u201cjust a practice squad guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

It makes you wonder what other trades may have been out there for a safety, corner or defensive lineman of similar value that fell apart because Khan was unwilling to part with picks in April for a team that needs help in November.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t sound \u201call in\u201d to me.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s probably because the Steelers aren\u2019t really \u201call in<\/a>\u201d on this year\u2019s team. I said back<\/a> in July<\/a> that phrase was social media hyperbole and a fan\/media misnomer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That was a term and a narrative that was foisted upon the Steelers more than it was one that Tomlin and Khan drummed up on their own.<\/p>\n

Advancing the \u201chistoric\u201d defense chatter<\/a>? Eh, that\u2019s a different story. That one is on the coach.<\/p>\n

But for the Steelers to ever admit they are \u201call in\u201d on any year would also be admitting that they haven\u2019t been in some recent seasons, and that they probably can\u2019t be again in 2026 or \u201827.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just not how the Steelers operate. <\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean they couldn\u2019t have added a receiver or a DB on Tuesday, though. Certainly, with the market prices and their collection of picks, they could\u2019ve. Khan just chose to avoid doing so. <\/p>\n

One injury to DK Metcalf or Ramsey, and that\u2019s a choice he\u2019ll soon regret.<\/p>\n

LISTEN: Tim Benz and Joe Rutter discuss a quiet trade deadline for the Steelers.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com<\/a> or via X<\/a>. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.<\/p>\n