Steelers GM Omar Khan on prospective trade for WR: 'There's nothing ongoing'

General manager Omar Khan left open the possibility the Pittsburgh Steelers would yet acquire a veteran wide receiver before the regular season begins.

At some points during a news conference Thursday, Khan made it sound not all that unlikely that, over the next six weeks, they might trade for or sign a wideout.

But even if Khan tacitly acknowledged the Steelers intentionally have left the cap space open for bringing on a proven veteran, on two separate occasions he seemed to throw cold water on the idea the Steelers are on the verge of trading for San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk.

“I have not had any conversations about that,” Khan said.

Moments earlier, asked directly about the Steelers exploring trades for any wide receiver, Khan said: “There’s nothing going on right now.”

That, though, doesn’t mean Khan is shutting the door for using his roughly $16 million in available cap space to add a wide receiver (or a well-paid player at another position).

“You know, if there’s ever an opportunity to upgrade regardless of the receiver room, whatever the room is, we’re going to look at it,” Khan said.

“Since I’ve been in this job, we’ve never, like, gone into the season with a lot of cap room. We’ve usually used it, so it’s there (now) for a reason. There’s an opportunity to utilize it.”

That utilization could be for an extension for a player currently on the roster, though. Players entering the final seasons on their contracts who appear candidates for an extension include tight end Pat Freiermuth and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.

But do not expect an extension for quarterbacks Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. Each was acquired this spring and is on a contract that expires in March.

“I’ll just say we’re focused on this year,” Khan said of the quarterbacks. “And we’ll see how things shake out, and we understand that we’ve got three quarterbacks on one-year deals (including No. 3 Kyle Allen), and that’s this position we’re in and we’re excited about the guys that we have. So, we’ll address those after the season.”

Another starter in the final year of his contract is running back Najee Harris, for whom the Steelers in May declined a fifth-year option worth $6.9 million for 2025. Khan for the first time publicly gave his reasoning for that decision.

“There’s different steps and layers in making those decisions,” he said, “and we evaluated where the team was and we just said, ‘Right now, let’s hold off.’

“But I can tell you, we think the world of Najee. And just because that option was not exercised doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a future here. You know, he represents us well. Guys know what he’s like as a football player. He’s a great football player. He’s great to have in the building. So, you know, I still see a future with Najee.”