Opinion: Fans Should Not Be Upset By The Steelers Making No Trade Deadline Moves

So this year's trade deadline passed, and Omar Khan didn't work his magic to make a deal. The question is, why are Steelers fans surprised by this?

Considering the fact that the team has a 4-3 record with depth issues at almost every position, why would any reasonable fan think that trading away picks for anyone would somehow solve their issues?

The answer is simple: it won't.

Granted, we can admit that this year has not gone as well as many expected after watching them perform in the preseason. Some call it a mirage in retrospect, but that is what the preseason is about: to have fans like you buy into an idea of what your team is before reality sets in.

The Steelers have been a team that has been swimming in issues since the 2020 season, when they started 11-0, remember? Whether the problem is with head coach Mike Tomlin or offense coordinator Matt Canada, who everyone loves to malign, the fact is that the problems surrounding this team were not going to be fixed by giving up picks for Jaylon Johnson. As good as he may be, he is not going to be nearly enough to remedy the issues with the secondary. There are too many layers to it.

Here is the reality: the team that you see in front of you is what you will likely get for the remainder of the season. In many ways, they are well ahead of the team from 2022, who started the season 2–6 before their bye week. Fans have every right to be disappointed by the product they see, but at the same time, they need to be realistic; a team that traditionally builds from the draft is not going to be as willing to give away picks for a player, even for one as talented as Johnson.

The question pending is: will this organization change the way they approach building a team? The answer is yes, with the caveat that it may take years before they do so. Until that time happens, this is who they are, and it is likely not to change anytime soon.