PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers were supposed to go for it ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline. With quarterback Aaron Rodgers bidding farewell to the NFL after this season, plus a Super Bowl-caliber defense, it should have been enough to compel general manager Omar Khan to go get that missing piece.

Then the Steelers went 6-2, exiting their bye week at the top of the AFC North standings. Things are going swimmingly for head coach Mike McCarthy halfway through his first season with his hometown team. A trade felt imminent. The roster deserved a dose of positivity for the stretch run.

Yet in the most Steelers fashion ever, the team did nothing. Plenty of players were available, but instead of going all-in, Khan stood pat. Now we can say definitively that the key additions during the 2026 season are headlined by plucking a pair of defensive backs from other teams' practice squads and bringing back wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling after the Los Angeles Chargers released him. Another deadline passes with an unsatisfying conclusion, and at this point we are all fools for believing they would do anything other than what they always do at the deadline.

We Should Have Known When MVS Arrived

The Steelers' big move was staring us in the face all along. Following their Week 6 victory, they signed the recently released MVS to their practice squad. This marked his second time with the organization, following a five-game stint in Pittsburgh in 2025.

During those five games, quarterback Aaron Rodgers targeted MVS a total of 21 times, connecting for 10 receptions. That amounted to 80 yards and a touchdown, far from the type of game-changing production the offense needed.

This season hasn't been any different for the former 690-yard receiver with the Green Bay Packers. He appeared in three games with the Chargers at the beginning of the 2026 campaign, collecting just two receptions for 22 yards.

Despite all of that, he has the one thing that means more than talent or productivity in Pittsburgh: a connection with Rodgers and McCarthy. Thanks to their time together in Green Bay, Rodgers trusts him, and McCarthy believes in him.

Steelers Can't Be Considered Legitimate Contenders

The Steelers are at the top of the AFC North, and if they defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, they have a strong chance of winning the division for a second consecutive season. And they've gotten there without a strong passing game.

Despite that, their inaction at the deadline proves that they are not legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Compare it to the other top AFC teams - the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Steelers watched those contenders upgrade their rosters. The Bills added a starting safety, and the Jaguars added multiple pieces to their defense.

Meanwhile, the Steelers provided no roster upgrades. They didn't give their vulnerable secondary any depth reinforcements, and they didn't give Rodgers any better options to throw to.

But we shouldn't be surprised by this at all. The Steelers do nothing at the trade deadline, save for adding random parts like they are at the checkout line of a grocery store. It's a yearly occurrence. This year felt different, partly because so much has changed around the organization, but some things remain completely the same.