The wide receiver room may yet need to be expanded by the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was revealed that Omar Khan had contacted the 49ers in the 2024 NFL Draft to find out how much they would need to acquire Deebo Samuel through trade, and this season, Brandon Aiyuk has been constantly mentioned in trade speculations in relation to Pittsburgh.
More assistance is required, even if the Steelers acquired three low-level free agents this year and drafted Roman Wilson in the third round of the draft. Sadly, it appears that there are only two choices: “go big or go home.” Aiyuk would cost the Steelers a lot of draft capital if the Niners were ready to trade with him, and they would also have to pay him roughly $30 million in new yearly salary each season.
What other possibilities are there, though, if they decide against going with a popular name and breaking the bank? It turns out that no one has been examining the possibility that there is one. James Washington posted an Instagram video showing that he is looking to make an NFL comeback after dealing with a Jones fracture the past two seasons. Washington was a former second-round pick of the Steelers who led Pittsburgh in receiving yards during the 2019 season — the year Ben Roethlisberger missed all but two games with an elbow injury.
James Washington could be added to the Steelers roster for very little money.
In his second NFL season, Washington made waves when he led the Steelers in receiving yards (735) and touchdowns (3) on an incredible 9.2 yards per target. But throughout the next two seasons of his rookie deal, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson were more effective than him.
Washington signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent in 2022. He played in two games but was unable to catch a ball on one occasion. The former Oklahoma State standout was released by the Cowboys due to a Jones fracture. Over the previous two seasons, Washington spent time with the Giants, Saints, and Colts, but he did not play For the first time since sustaining the serious foot injury, Washington appears fully recovered, and the Steelers may decide to give him another shot.
The Steelers had the option to sign Washington to a veteran minimum contract during the 2022 free agency period, but they had other plans. However, things in Pittsburgh are looking very different right now, and Washington might be a receiver that gets along well with both OC Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson. If he signed with Pittsburgh, the former second-round pick would not be guaranteed a position on the roster, but the competition is not great. Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, and Quez Watkins, three seasoned players, might battle with Washington for an opportunity to establish himself and earn a spot on the squad. James Washington is too old to be on a team’s 53-man roster, much less be a reliable player for a team, having played meaningful NFL football for almost two years. But it’s a no-risk move to bring in a previous second-round pick who was a very successful player for the franchise.
Washington might be signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal at the veteran minimum to see if he can overcome the team’s lackluster wide receiver depth.
