The Pittsburgh Steelers are in great shape heading into Week 10. Pittsburgh is 6-2 heading into their divisional showdown with Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football. The Steelers did not add any new players at the 2026 NFL trade deadline. That completely matched the expectations of the team's starting quarterback.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers explained on Wednesday why he wasn't surprised about the quiet trade deadline.
“I’ve learned to never hold my breath around a trade deadline because I don’t know that I’ve ever been part of a team – other than when we got Davante in Jersey – where there was an addition,” Rodgers said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
Rodgers has seen a lot during his 22 seasons in the NFL. The fact that he's only been a part of one deadline trade says a lot about how hype doesn't always translate to results. That's especially true when it takes two teams to tango.
Just because the Steelers didn't make any trades doesn't mean they weren't in the market.
Pittsburgh was one team connected to Brian Thomas Jr. before Jacksonville decided to hold onto him. They were also rumored to be in on Calvin Ridley, but Tennessee decided to keep him as well.
The wide receiver position is the most obvious need for Pittsburgh. Remember, Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are on injured reserve. That just leaves DK Metcalf, Germie Bernard, and a host of backups as Rodgers' main targets.
One interesting factor at the deadline this year was the presence of Rodgers himself. Pittsburgh wanted to reserve draft picks for the future since Rodgers plans to retire after the 2026 season. That being the case, the Steelers were ultimately unlikely to make any kind of trade.
At the end of the day, Pittsburgh should be fine as long as they can continue stringing together wins down the stretch.
Steelers at Bengals kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Nov 15 from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.