The Pittsburgh Steelers have once again gotten off to a strong start.

Entering a crucial Week 8 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers are sitting at 5-2 and currently own the No. 6 seed in the AFC.

In the midst of a three-game win streak that it'll look to push to four before its Week 9 bye, it's not hard to feel optimistic about what stands ahead of Pittsburgh this season.

At the same time, if they want to be considered real contenders in the conference, the Steelers do have some clear needs that must be addressed.

Their biggest missing piece is evident, too, and it'll come as no surprise to anyone.

Another WR Could Fix Everything

Pittsburgh was active in filling its hole at wide receiver this offseason by acquiring Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts and selecting Germie Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Bernard has certainly panned out thus far, recording 254 yards and a touchdown while making three starts. Pittman Jr., on the other hand, was placed on the reserve/injured list with a foot injury ahead of the Steelers' Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts and seems incredibly unlikely to return at the earliest possible date, which would be in Week 10 after he misses the required minimum of four games.

Roman Wilson (finger) also landed on IR in the lead-up to Week 6, and Ben Skowronek (calf) has missed two contests in a row as well.

DK Metcalf has bounced back after a rough start to the year, posting a combined 276 yards over his past four games, but he hasn't proven himself to be a true No. 1 receiver in a Pittsburgh uniform up to this point.

The Steelers' offense has been incredibly conservative during the 2024 and 2025 seasons with former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith calling the plays, and that has remained true under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.

Through seven games, Aaron Rodgers' average depth of target of 7.42 yards ranks No. 21 among 34 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks this season (per SumerSports).

His 61.6 percent completion rate and -0.13 EPA/pass both rank No. 25 under that same criteria, and his big time throw rate of 3.2 percent (per Pro Football Focus) is tied for No. 22.

Rodgers has just seven completions over 36 attempts on passes of 20-plus yards (per SumerSports), which comes out to a 19.4 percent completion rate that comes in as the fifth-worst mark in the NFL.

The future Hall of Famer has played pretty well overall, but Pittsburgh is still severely lacking any semblance of an explosive passing game, which will hold it back long-term.

Getting Wilson back at some point should help in that regard, and he would make up a decent enough trio with Metcalf and Bernard. Still, the Steelers would really benefit from adding a dynamic playmaker at receiver who can separate and generate big plays consistently.

Finding a player who fits that bill at the trade deadline is easier said than done. With that being said, however, paying whatever it costs and taking a chance on someone like Brian Thomas Jr. is the exact type of high-reward move Pittsburgh has to seriously consider.

Thomas Jr. has taken a huge step back over the past two seasons since the Jacksonville Jaguars brought Liam Coen in as their head coach, but the 2024 first-round pick proved he has star-level talent after posting 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie.

Other options that could intrigue the Steelers include Quentin Johnston (Los Angeles Chargers), Jerry Jeudy (Cleveland Browns), Dontayvion Wicks (Philadelphia Eagles) and Stefon Diggs (Washington Commanders), though none of them offer as high of a ceiling as Thomas Jr. would.

It is hard to build an explosive passing game around a 42-year-old quarterback who's in the middle of his final season, though the Steelers have to make a concerted attempt to do just that.

They have a fantastic run game with Jaylen Warren leading the way as one of the top running backs in the league, and if they can start leaning on their pass game more by adding a legit receiver before the trade deadline, their offense has a chance to do some real damage moving forward.

If Pittsburgh is going to snap its seven-game losing streak in the postseason and make some noise as a contender in the AFC, doing so is an absolute necessity.

What Else Do Steelers Need to Become Contenders?

From the moment the Steelers put an end to the Joey Porter Jr. saga by trading him to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, there was always a possibility that cornerback would become an area of concern.

Jamel Dean is capable of being the team's No. 1 corner, though Asante Samuel Jr. and Daylen Everette are volatile options next to the former on the boundary. Sean Murphy-Bunting and Terell Smith were solid veteran additions as depth pieces, but neither should be expected to step in and play at a high level if called upon.

For that reason, a trade for a proven starter who can play opposite Dean would make sense for Pittsburgh.

The other position group that could potentially use reinforcements to help the Steelers become more of a complete team and have a chance of competing with the AFC's top squads is inside linebacker.

Payton Wilson has made some strides in his third NFL season, and Patrick Queen is coming off his best game in quite some time in Pittsburgh's Week 7 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

That tandem has fallen short often, however, and while Elandon Roberts may eventually factor into the team's plans while currently residing on the practice squad, a more consequential move to bring in a real difference-maker could pay dividends for the Steelers' defense.