While wide receiver was assumed to be top of the trade list for the Pittsburgh Steelers, General Manager Omar Khan followed up the trade for Mike Williams with another move. Veteran linebacker Preston Smith has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers from the Green Bay Packers for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Pittsburgh Steelers Acquire Veteran Preston Smith
Linebacker wasn’t seen as a position that the Steelers would address, but Khan saw things differently. Smith will join a linebacker group that is considered one of the league’s better units. TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig already formed a dangerous revolving door of pass rushers, and Smith’s addition should give Pittsburgh some flexibility. Opposing offenses have begun selling out to take Watt out of games, as the New York Jets and New York Giants showed. The answer was to rotate Watt and Highsmith, but that kind of position switch comes with challenges.
While Watt adjusts to playing both sides of the line consistently, Smith’s acquisition could be explained by a need for a veteran edge rusher to fill in when needed in that rotation. Pittsburgh is a team that is defined by the defense, so bringing in another potential weapon with experience could prove invaluable down the stretch. A 31-year-old NFL veteran, Smith will be going to his third team in ten seasons. With Smith having nearly 70 career sacks (2.5 in 2024), and Watt on the wrong side of 30, that added stability would result in a well-rested Watt ready to wreck games.
Final Thoughts
Bringing in a veteran pass rusher over the age of 31 could be seen as a lateral move, but the seventh-round price tag makes it a positive move for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With fans still hoping for another big-name receiver to be named in a trade before the deadline, spending nearly nothing for an experienced defensive piece shouldn’t frustrate too many people. However, if the only deadline-day moves end up being Williams and Smith, it would be an underwhelming haul for the division-leading 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers.
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