Most likely, another wide receiver trade prospect was lost by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Tennessee Titans may be abandoning any trade considerations when it was revealed that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would miss many weeks due to a knee issue.
The Steelers seemed to be keeping an eye on Treylon Burks going into training camp. The Titans had an option if Pittsburgh was pursuing a wide receiver move, but it would probably happen at the end of training camp. Why? For Tennessee would want to give Burks one more chance to earn their trust, and they would be willing to let him go if he failed.
However, Hopkins’ injury will likely force the Titans to adopt a more cautious approach. Even though Burks isn’t a superstar, he’s a valuable player who can be relied upon to fill in for Hopkins when he’s not playing. No club wants to take the chance of having too few standout players on their roster.
Thus, it’s probably off the table if Pittsburgh was considering making an offer by the end of the summer. The Steelers will need to look for alternatives on the trade market since Tennessee is likely to continue with their current options.
The good news for the Steelers right now is that a core group of wide receivers is beginning to develop. Although Van Jefferson has shown promise during training camp, Calvin Austin, Roman Wilson, and Quez Watkins have all had their moments. George Pickens, well, he still looks like George Pickens. Furthermore, Pat Freiermuth appears to be a future breakthrough star.
The sooner Hopkins gets back, the better the Steelers’ chances are of landing Burks. However, it is difficult for a wide receiver in their 30s to recover quickly from a knee injury. It is likely that Pittsburgh will not make another WR trade in the summer.
