Why the Pittsburgh Steelers Didn’t Need Jaylen Waddle to Stay in the AFC Hunt

As the Pittsburgh Steelers get ready to visit the Los Angeles Chargers on “Sunday Night Football,” their receiver corps looks just like it did before the trade deadline.

The offseason acquisition of DK Metcalf to be their No. 1 receiver has paid off, no doubt, and Calvin Austin III has made for a fine No. 2. But Steelers fans thought the front office was setting out for an upgrade at the position with Roman Wilson largely a flop and Scotty Miller still hurting.

Pittsburgh’s front office certainly tried. Multiple reports indicated GM Omar Khan made offers for New Orleans’ Rashid Shaheed, who preferred to go to Seattle; Las Vegas’ Jakobi Meyers, who preferred Jacksonville; and biggest of all, Miami’s Jaylen Waddle, who wound up not being traded.

The only receiver the Steelers have added into the fold recently was ex-Packer-turned-journeyman Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Look up Allen Lazard’s numbers and ask Jets fans how to feel about Aaron Rodgers dialing up his old buddies for some pitch and catch!

But the narrative about Pittsburgh’s thin receiving depth has gotten out of control. It’s probably not a dealbreaker for the Steelers’ short-term hopes that they didn’t improve at that particular position this week.

Let’s start with the obvious: The Steelers would really have to screw up to miss the playoffs given their path. The Ravens spotted them a head start in the AFC North race, though they look more competent now with Lamar Jackson back. The Bungles and Brownies aren’t costing opposing coaches any sleep this season.

Just last week, Pittsburgh beat the Colts — who’ve often looked like the best team in football this year — and they did so with a grand total of 38 rushing yards. Rodgers hasn’t needed elite wide receiver help to turn in above-average to very good performances, a bounce-back from his forgettable Jets tenure.

Maybe that’s because at almost 42 years young, Rodgers is a perfect fit for Arthur Smith’s scheme. And maybe five of the Steelers’ top seven receivers are tight ends or running backs because that’s exactly what a Smith offense looks like.

Because I watched this extremely entertaining and well-researched video in the preseason, it’s no surprise to me that Jonnu Smith is second on the Steelers in targets. Arthur Smith wants to utilize tight ends — he loves to utilize Jonnu specifically — and combining Pat Freiermuth with the veteran makes for a strong tandem there.

The Steelers utilize 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) just 33.5% of the time, lower than any team in the league, according to their own team website. This offensive coordinator lives for those multi-tight-end packages. Having a running back like Jaylen Warren and his 210 yards after catch helps here, too.

The system has led to Rodgers tallying 3.7 air yards per completion, ranking 30th out of 31 qualifying quarterbacks. It’s dinks. It’s dunks. It’s not flashy football — but it’s been working.

Rodgers is past the stage of his career where he’s taking dozens of shots downfield to a deep-ball threat like Davante Adams. (When did Adams ever win a Super Bowl, anyway?)

Arthur Smith’s offense is built around control, rhythm, and execution — not highlight-reel heroics. With tight ends and backs leading the passing attack, the Steelers’ approach may not be explosive, but it’s sustainable.

If I were a Steelers fan, I’d be far more worried about their 32nd-ranked pass defense as a potential downfall come December or January.

Getting Jaylen Waddle in black and gold would’ve been a luxury — not the missing piece to guarantee a championship.