The Pittsburgh Steelers already made one bold trade this offseason in a bid to improve the offense, landing star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf from the Seahawks.
That move should immediately give the team a go-to weapon that’s been missing from the offense, but Metcalf won’t be able to do it alone. Factor in that fellow receiver George Pickens was shipped to the Dallas Cowboys, and it’s clear that receiver is still a need.
Currently, veteran Robert Woods and Calvin Austin III are penciled in as the other starting receivers. That’s probably not the best option, so it would be wise to see what can be had on the trade market.
Cory Woodroof of For The Win recently identified Houston Texans’ receiver John Metchie III as a realistic trade target for the Steelers. Metchie was a promising prospect coming out of Alabama, but health issues have hampered his production thus far.
Regarding a potential Metchie-Steelers deal, Woodroof offered the following:
The Steelers need to supplant depth at wide receiver, and not adding Rodgers means they don’t have to add one of his old running buddies. Houston’s receiver room is quite crowded, and Metchie has starting potential. Pittsburgh, flushed with 2026 draft capital, sends its a conditional 2026 fifth rounder the Texans’ way to add Metchie to the mix. Getting Cousins and Metchie for the 2026 offense feels nice for May.
In this hypothetical deal, the Steelers would send the Texans a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for Metchie.
As Woodroof mentioned, the Texans have a surplus of receivers, so Metchie could be deemed expendable. The team has Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, and Tank Dell, as well as rookie Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins.
Metchie was taken by the Texans in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. However, the receiver suffered a serious knee injury at the end of his college career, and unfortunately missed his entire rookie season while battling acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Metchie made a full recovery, however, and was able to play in 16 games in 2023. The receiver caught 16 passes for 158 yards in his sophomore campaign, and then caught 24 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown in 2024.
In Pittsburgh, Metchie could get the chance to start next to Metcalf and Austin and allow the veteran Woods to play a reserve role. While Metchie’s production in the pros hasn’t been great so far, this is the same player who eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards with the Crimson Tide in 2021.
