The Pittsburgh Steelers are off to a 3-0 start, which almost makes you forget about their shaky situation at the wide receiver position behind No. 1 wideout George Pickens.
Almost — Steelers fans certainly haven't forgotten about it, nor has ESPN's Dan Graziano, who touched on the subject in his weekly buzz and predictions article.
Graziano believes the Steelers will continue to monitor the receiver market moving forward, and he speculated on Tennessee Titans wideout DeAndre Hopkins and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk as two possible targets for general manager Omar Khan.
"The Steelers were active on the wide receiver market in the offseason -- remember, they had a real chance to land Brandon Aiyuk had the 49ers not been able to extend him -- and I expect them to continue to monitor the receiver trade market as the deadline approaches," Graziano wrote. "Tennessee's DeAndre Hopkins and Jacksonville's Christian Kirk are two veterans who could conceivably become available and might be appealing to the Steelers if their teams continue to lose and fall out of the playoff race."
With both the Jaguars and Titans off to 0-3 starts and looking like they're going nowhere in 2024, it's a good bet that Kirk and/or Hopkins could be moved, but who would be the better bet?
Hopkins, of course, is the far more decorated receiver, but he's also 32 and on the last year of his contract. The age is a concern, but he has shown he still has plenty left in the tank after a 1,000-yard season in 2023.
But he's also going to be playing hurt this whole year and isn't guaranteed to offer a solution for Pittsburgh beyond this season.
Kirk is the much younger option of the two at 27 and he still has one more year left on his deal after this one. But his track record pales in comparison to Hopkins' and Kirk has an injury history. He would still amount to a significant upgrade for Pittsburgh, though.
At this point, beggars can't be choosers and the Steelers would be thrilled to bring in either one. But with Hopkins not fully healthy and possibly being a rental, Kirk might be the better option of the two, both now and for the future.
