The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the 2025 season with another unproven or uninspiring passer under center. Maybe it's one of 2024's starters in Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, or a middling free agent like Sam Darnold or Jameis Winston. A portion of the fanbase is pulling for a rookie quarterback early in April's NFL Draft.
Whomever it may be, they'll likely continue the Steelers' tradition of quarterback purgatory.
But that hasn't halted the expectation of winning football in Pittsburgh, which demands that general manager Omar Khan revamps his roster with the hopes of elevating a mediocre passer.
Subsequently, the Steelers are reported to be interested in New York Giants receiver Darius Slayton in free agency.
"According to a source close to the situation, the Steelers are expected to have interest in Slayton in free agency," Noah Strackbein wrote for Sports Illustrated. "The 28 year old had a career low of just 573 yards and two touchdowns this past season, but as the Giants struggled to find success at quarterback, many around the league viewed their wide receiver core as talented but lacking the help they needed."
Slayton isn't the star fans have been pining for since the trade market heated up ahead of the 2024 season, but he's another downfield perimeter threat who can attack on the play-action shots offensive coordinator Arthur Smith prefers.
To his credit, he's been a model of consistency during his six seasons in New York. In four of his first five seasons, he saw between 700 and 800 yards. In 2024, the quarterbacking truly fell off, leaving him with just 573 yards and two scores on 71 targets.
Slayton has scored just 13 touchdowns since finding the end zone eight times as a rookie in 2018, but the shape of his production has remained relatively stable, albeit at the whims of inconsistent quarterback play.
Pittsburgh knows what it'd be getting in Slayton, a boundary deep threat with the occasional case of the drops and an encouraging locker room presence.
Perhaps pairing him with Pickens off the field is as important as doing so between the sidelines, where Slayton can take advantage of his teammate's gravity. However, two aspects of the fit are cloudier than simply needing a receiver. Slayton is most comfortable in a similar role to Pickens, and he'll likely be looking for proven, quality quarterback play.
The Steelers, of course, can't guarantee that. But with a healthy cap situation, they may be able to quiet those concerns with cash.
