Steelers Now Have A Safe Receiving Option Available If Trade Talks Get Too Rich

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been putting feelers out on the trade market ever since they decided to deal Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. General Manager Omar Khan wants to pair a legitimate receiver with George Pickens, which would make life a lot easier for him and Russell Wilson. The Steelers have a deep receiver room, although it is full of players that lack production and an incoming rookie in Roman Wilson. Khan has been working the phones to get a trade done, but an interesting option just became available through free agency on Tuesday.

Steelers fans have been excited ever since Bryant McFadden posted on X stating that Khan is working hard to land a significant playmaker. The excitement is understandable, either one of the San Francisco 49ers star receivers could be involved, or it could be someone like Courtland Sutton looking to reunite with Wilson. 

If Khan can't get a deal done for a big-name receiver, Zay Jones was just released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he would certainly be an intriguing option to join Pickens at the top of the receiver group.

Jones was a second round selection by the Buffalo Bills back in 2017. He played there for three seasons before joining the now-named Las Vegas Raiders before winding up in Jacksonville. He only managed to play in nine games during the 2023 season, which is certainly a big reason that contributed to his release along with the Jaguars drafting a receiver in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Jacksonville has also brought in five undrafted free agent receivers, which made the organization feel as though Jones was expendable.

Despite Jones struggling with injury in 2023, he is coming off of two of his most productive seasons in 2021 and 2022. He has managed to find his footing in the NFL after struggling to begin his career. He played in just nine games during the 2023 season and managed to record 34 receptions for 321 yards and two touchdowns. His injury kept him out of a lot of games, but he also played through a PCL injury in his knee and cartilage damage which certainly hindered his production when he was on the field.

In 2022, Jones had the most productive season of his career. He caught 82 passes for 823 yards and five touchdowns. He did this as the second receiver on the Jaguars depth chart, behind just Christian Kirk. In 2023, his numbers dipping could be attributed to him battling through injury, but also because of the addition of Calvin Ridley, who immediately stole snaps and targets from Jones. 

If the Steelers decide to ditch the idea of trading for a star receiver, and instead decide to sign a player like Jones, they could still get significant production while giving up zero draft capital on a much cheaper contract. Jones has played well in the wide receiver two role before, and if Roman Wilson has a good rookie season, the Steelers receivers room could look like it hasn't missed a beat.

Steelers Could Give Up On Trade In Lieu Of Signing Jones

The Steelers are looking at giving up a significant amount of valuable future draft picks if they trade for either of the stars out in San Francisco. Even if they want to make a move for Sutton, it will cost a mid-round selection. Brandon Aiyuk is going into the last year of his rookie deal and is seeking an extension that could be worth north of $25 million a season. Deebo Samuel's cap hit for the 2024 season is over $28 million, and Sutton is set to bring in over $17 million over the next two seasons.

Trading for any of these players would be worth it for Pittsburgh, and a move like that would immediately upgrade the offense, especially the receiver position. If Khan decides he doesn't want to give away too much in the draft, and wants to keep the Steelers in a reasonable cap situation, signing Jones might be the better option, rather than trading for a superstar.