Could the Pittsburgh Steelers soon acquire another wide receiver?

It seems like the Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the market for a wide receiver for the past several years, and this season is no different. With the NFL’s trade deadline looming, former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex is urging the team to acquire another playmaker for the offense.

Essex wants the Steelers to trade for Los Angeles Charger wide receiver Ladd McConkey.

“I’ll also throw out Ladd McConkey if he pops up,” Essex said on the In the Locker Room podcast. “I wouldn’t mind have him. If the Chargers get to wheeling and dealing, and he lands, him and Aaron [Rodgers], that could be deadly. That’s a name that I would pay attention to.”

The Chargers have not had the start to the 2026 season that they likely imagined, standing alone as the NFL’s only winless team at 0-6. So, they could very well have a fire sale at the trade deadline.

Los Angeles hasn’t tipped its hand to which way it is leaning, but if the team does decide to tear things apart, McConkey could net it a fair trade package.

McConkey, a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, bursted onto the scene as a rookie, recording 82 catches for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns.

However, since then, his production has decreased ever season, finishing the 2025 season with 66 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns, and then starting this year with just 13 catches for 200 yards and one score.

Nonetheless, several teams would surely be willing to take a chance on McConkey, given his draft capital and early production in the league.

The only question is: Are the Chargers even willing to move on from him?

A native of Chatsworth, Georgia, McConkey played college football at Georgia, where he racked up 119 catches for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns from 2021-23.