Steelers' darkhorse trade target at WR is suddenly picking up steam thanks to Netflix series

The Netflix series Quarterback drew rave reviews this time last year as one of the better behind-the-scenes looks at what it's like to play arguably the hardest position in pro sports.

This year, Peyton Manning and his team at Omaha Productions pitched Receiver to the media tycoon with Netflix obliging. The series details the life of some of the game's top talents on the perimeter.

One of those names is Davante Adams, who in the series is repeatedly frustrated with his QB situation, the product on the field, and the team as a whole, leading some to speculate that if he's not available in the trade market yet, he soon could be.

Is Davante Adams a trade candidate?

"My opinion on that [Aidan O'Connell starting over Jimmy Garoppolo], was that I signed off on that," Adams said when asked his opinion on the move. "That's just the reality of it. I love Jimmy and he's a great guy, but something had to happen in order for us to have a chance down the stretch, and in order for me to remain a Raider, in all honesty."

Now Adams would go on to push back against the idea of joining his former team, (Green Bay Packers) or any team for that matter, but he also knows that the ultimate decision on his future is up to the Raiders, not him.

That led Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports to dive into the financial implications of what a Davante Adams trade would look like and led me to see if the Pittsburgh Steelers could swing it.

So if the Raiders trade Davante Adams before this season, they will have $7.85 million in dead money in 2024 and $15.7 million in 2025, highly manageable numbers.

The acquiring team would pay Adams $17.5 million in 2024, $36.25 million in 2025, and $36.25 million in 2026.

If the new team wants to maximize this season's roster, it would still be possible to restructure Adams' deal adding two void years, getting his 2024 cap hit to a number as low as $4.468 million — that, however, would make his future hits jump to $39.5 million in 2025 and 2026, plus a $6.5 million dead money after the deal expires in 2027.

- Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports

For Pittsburgh, they could easily manage Adams' salary in 2024 given their current cap situation . In all honesty, when analyzing the number of free agents set to hit the market from the Steelers' current roster , they could even pull off keeping Adams at his 2025 and 2026 salary.

But at that point, you're talking about allocating a large amount of cap space to a WR approaching his mid-30s and with questions still lingering at QB.

So Adams may be traded somewhere between now and November 5th's deadline, but he will likely remain a dark horse for the Steelers.

Related: Recent NFL news has the Steelers set to welcome back polarizing WR during 2024 training camp