Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily criticized after the poor performances of their defense in consecutive losses against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers.
Despite being the highest-paid unit in the NFL, with names like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., and Darius Slay, Pittsburgh has allowed 68 points in those two games, being completely dominated by Joe Flacco and Jordan Love.
Now, the Steelers are no longer seen as Super Bowl contenders and, despite their 4-3 record, they also aren’t favorites to win the AFC North. Therefore, with the trade deadline approaching, general manager Omar Khan is making moves to try to save the season.
Who did the Steelers trade for?
The Steelers have made a trade to acquire safety Kyle Dugger, according to a report from Adam Schefter. With the secondary suffering a large number of injuries, Omar Khan found a key player in a huge move with the New England Patriots.
“Trade: New England is sending safety Kyle Dugger and a 7th-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 6th-round pick, per sources. The Patriots signed S Kyle Dugger to a 4-year, $58M deal just last year, but that was before Mike Vrabel arrived with his new defensive scheme. Dugger has started 69 games and recorded 9 INTs in his career.”
Who got injured with Steelers?
Deshon Elliott suffered a knee injury in the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. Dugger’s arrival is a direct consequence of this, and a report from Ian Rapoport confirmed Elliott’s possible timeline, which would keep him out for at least four games. “The Steelers are placing S DeShon Elliott (knee) on Injured Reserve to make room for Dugger, source said.”