It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be very active in the wide receiver market during the 2025 offseason. They will be exploring every part of the NFL via trades, free agency, and the draft to shore up their biggest need. Rumors have already started swirling, and it's safe to say that General Manager Omar Khan has already started to think about what calls he will be making to see who is available and what the prices may be. For one particular option, it sounds like the Steelers may get a bargain. If this is truly the case, the Steelers may have their veteran wideout.
NFL insider Adam Schefter talked about the upcoming Cooper Kupp saga. During that analysis, he brought up the potential cost for any team to trade for him, including the Steelers.
"I think when you speak to people in the league, they see Keenan Allen go last year for a fourth-round pick and they believe Cooper Kupp is in a similar situation," Schefter said.
During the 2024 season, the Steelers seemed to be favorites to trade for Kupp before the Los Angeles Rams changed course last second. Now, if Khan can trade for him for just a fourth-round pick, there is no reason to not expect him to get on the phone and try to get a deal done as soon as possible.
Kupp personally announced that the Rams were looking to trade him away recently. They are looking to get younger and extend their championship window, even though that means getting rid of the soon-to-be 32-year-old. There are many factors that play a role in a potential deal, but many seem to go against Los Angeles.
For starters, Kupp has had injury concerns throughout his career. He has only played a full season twice in his eight-year career. Both times, he surpassed 1,000 yards receiving, but it's hard to depend on a player that ends up getting hurt on a regular basis. That will take away a lot of leverage from the Rams.
On top of that, Kupp still has two years left on his contract, with each year being worth eight figures. The Rams will eat the dead cap from the signing bonus at minimum -- a total of $17.26 million -- which would leave $45.85 million over the course of the next two seasons for whoever acquires him, and that's if the Rams don't eat more money to try and get better compensation.
However, Kupp runs out of guarantees after 2025, meaning any team that trades for him could cut him with no dead cap hit. For a day three pick, it would be worth it to see what the veteran wideout has left in the tank. If he's still great, then the deal would be seen as an absolute steal. If not, then nothing much of value was really lost.
For a receiver-needy team like the Steelers, that is a risk that is definitely worth taking. Whether they keep George Pickens or not, they can't afford to go into the 2025 season with a similar receiving corps as they did in the previous year. They have to upgrade at that position if they want any chance of being a threat in the passing game at all.
Steelers Will Keep Hunting For Wideouts Whether They Get Cooper Kupp Or Not
In 2024, there were no starting-caliber options at wide receiver behind Pickens. Even if he stays and Kupp comes over, there would then be nothing behind him. Whether they draft a rookie, sign a viable free agent, or both, the position will continue to grow. Dire changes need to be made.
A receiving core of Pickens, Kupp, and someone like Emeka Egbuka could be deadly. Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson could act as quality, versatile depth. The Steelers have plenty options. They can't afford to botch the process like they did in 2024.
