Denver Broncos would likely scoff at predicted trade with Pittsburgh Steelers

Travis Wakeman

Denver Broncos would likely scoff at predicted trade with Pittsburgh Steelers image

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded George Pickens earlier this week and a predicted trade has them replacing him with the No. 1 wide receiver on the roster of the Denver Broncos

Courtland Sutton's name is constantly attached to trade talks and that is continuing this offseason. Coby Leibowitz of Athlon Sports has put together a trade package between the two teams that would send the former second-round pick to the Steel City. 

But it could leave the Broncos in shambles at the position. Here is the mock trade idea:

Steelers receive: Courtland Sutton, Jarrett Stidham
Broncos receive: Calvin Austin, Cory Trice Jr., fourth-round pick, sixth-round pick

It's not the worst trade idea that has ever been presented, but it does seem more like something you would see on Madden than in reality. 

In this scenario, the Broncos give up their best wide receiver and get back Calvin Austin, who is more like a WR3 on just about any team in the league. The former fourth-round pick has 53 receptions for 728 yards and five touchdowns in his career. 

Cory Trice was a seventh-round pick in 2023 and is a developmental defensive back. The Broncos don't necessarily need any more of those with the list of names already on the roster. 

But the name that could be the most perplexing in this deal is that of Jarrett Stidham. It makes sense for the QB-starved Steelers to add another arm to a depth chart that currently includes Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and Will Howard, but the Broncos like what Stidham brings in terms of helping Bo Nix prepare for games. They loved having Stidham and Zach Wilson in that role last season and likely didn't want to lose Wilson. 

Behind Stidham, the only other quarterback on the roster is Sam Ehlinger. The Broncos aren't going to go into the season like that. So while this is a fun trade to discuss, it seems like one that if presented to the Broncos, would lead to a pretty easy rejection from general manager George Paton. 

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.