Trevor Lawrence probably isn’t coming to Pittsburgh.
Quite frankly, no one Thursday said anything to the contrary.
You wouldn’t know that, though, based on the spitfire and gnashing of teeth that accompanied pushback to a report that said the Steelers inquired about his availability from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
To immediately reiterate, that’s all that was said in the first place. The Steelers inquired about Lawrence’s availability.
That’s it. That’s all. Let’s establish that.
Ryan Burr was the person who posted the story to social media.
Steelers have made inquiries to the @Jaguars about a trade for QB Trevor Lawerence. This directly from the horses mouth in the Jags organization. WOW!
— Ryan Burr (@RyanBurr) February 13, 2025
An alum of what is now known as SportsNet Pittsburgh, Burr (a Baldwin native) lives in Florida and works for the Big10 Network and PGA Tour Live.
So whether it’s proven right or wrong, by Saturday, he’s going to be caring about Wisconsin versus Purdue. The only professional interest he has in Pittsburgh right now is where his hotel is going to be for the U.S. Open at Oakmont in a few months.
I have no idea what theoretical motivation Burr would have to make up this story. I think the only reason it was fed to him, or why he bothered to post it, is that he’s from here.
However, media members nationally and in Jacksonville and Pittsburgh emphatically dismissed the story.
About those Steelers / Trevor Lawrence rumors that popped up today...@TomPelissero just told us it's "fake."
Pittsburgh "never" called Jacksonville about Lawrence.#NFL#HereWeGo#DUUUVALpic.twitter.com/kDxLgVhlZ1
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 13, 2025
Circling back, Jaguars source said no conversation with the Steelers regarding a potential trade for Trevor Lawrence took place. https://t.co/uuOGejKShQ
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) February 13, 2025
We are in the period in the NFL when people just make stuff up knowing it will never happen but also knowing they won't ever be called out on it. But hey, it gets them "engagement."
— Dale Lolley (@dlolley_pgh) February 13, 2025
The Steelers in no way imaginable inquired about trading for Trevor Lawrence and have no interest in even reaching out to the Jaguars about acquiring Lawrence, according to a source.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) February 13, 2025
OK. That’s all fine. Just consider a few points.
• This isn’t a case of Jacksonville offering up Lawrence to Pittsburgh. That would certainly require a strong rebuke if the story was bunk. This is the other way around. It’s just Pittsburgh reportedly asking Jacksonville about Lawrence.
However, as Burr said on our podcast, this situation is akin to the Bears calling the Steelers a few weeks ago about the prospect of trading for Mike Tomlin. The way Art Rooney II himself answered that question when it was posed by KDKA’s Bob Pompeani was, “It was a short conversation.”
Chicago did call. The Steelers, predictably, said, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Rooney hung up the phone.
Why is it so hard to believe that happened with the Steelers and Jaguars?
• If I come to find out that Burr was full of baloney and the Steelers didn’t call, then I’d be upset. The Steelers kicking the tires on Lawrence makes perfect sense. Jacksonville is going through a coaching/front office regime change, and they have a top 5 draft pick.
If Tomlin, Omar Khan or Andy Weidl didn’t pick up the phone and at least call Jacksonville to see if they might be interested in moving Lawrence in favor of drafting a QB at No. 5, that would be a dereliction of duty.
• Some of us in this town have awfully short memories. Twelve months ago, if you had told reporter on the Steelers beat that in six weeks, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky would all be gone, and Justin Fields and Russell Wilson would both be Steelers, they would’ve laughed you out of the room.
”Pfft! Ha, ha, ha! The Steelers just don’t dooooooo things like that.”
Yeah. Until they do.
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Until they trade a first-rounder for Minkah Fitzpatrick in September, draft a marginal QB in the first round. Trade up 10 spots to get an inside linebacker, swap out their whole QB room in one off-season, finally fire a coordinator mid-season, and outpay everyone for Patrick Queen.
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Right. The Steelers don’t dooooooothings like that either, I guess.
• Both the Jaguars and Steelers have motivation to tamp down this story and “counter-source it” to the mainstream football media.
The Steelers don’t want to ruffle the feathers of Fields and Wilson in case they have to circle back to one of those guys to fill the position next year. Furthermore, they wouldn’t want their fans to find out they nosed around on a big-name trade and came away empty-handed.
The Jags clearly don’t want Lawrence to think they’d trade him if they have no intent on doing so.
To my earlier point, there are a heckuva lot more reasons for the Jaguars and Steelers to invent reasons why this conversation didn’t happen than there are reasons for Burr to make it up in the first place.
Again, the most simple thing in the world could’ve happened. The Steelers asked, and the Jaguars said, “No.”
At this point, you might be asking, “Why bother posting that if it is as minuscule of a story as a two-minute phone call?”
Here’s why:
Burr said during the podcast that the conversation happened after the Super Bowl. That suggests to me that the Steelers aren’t all that intrigued by this QB draft class after the Senior Bowl. They aren’t certain that locking down Wilson or Fields is the best possible option. They aren’t certain Fields and/or Wilson want to stay, the Matt Stafford talk may be hogwash, and they can’t bring themselves to consider Aaron Rodgers.
If the report is accurate from a Jacksonville point of view, that means an AFC rival team still thinks Lawrence is worthy of acquiring at (presumably) a fairly decent return. This would be something for the new general manager to consider whenever he assumes control over the club if, indeed, the Jaguars prefer selecting a QB at pick No. 5.
That’s why the alleged phone call is relevant.
Eh, who am I kidding? The Steelers just don’tdooooo stuff like that.It’s much easier to say that and hope the story just goes away.
Right, Kenny?
Kenny Pickett Super Bowl appearance before your favorite QB
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 10, 2025