The Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars both lead their respective divisions with 6-2 records through nine weeks. The Jaguars hold the No. 3 seed, with Pittsburgh right behind them at the No. 4 spot. Both the Jaguars and Steelers have been at the center of trade rumors for the better part of a month, and ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Jaguars have made a splash move.
The Jaguars have acquired safety Jessie Bates from the Atlanta Falcons, per Jordan Schultz. The Jaguars are sending second and fifth-round picks to Atlanta in exchange for the All-Pro safety. Pittsburgh has a level of familiarity with Bates, as he spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2018-22.
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The Steelers have been connected to Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas in many a trade rumor for the last several weeks, but recent reports indicate that the Jaguars would prefer to keep Thomas due to how well-liked he is inside the locker room, and his speed and downfield prowess opens things up for the entire offense.
Pittsburgh will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars on Monday Night Football in Week 14 in a game that will have massive playoff seeding implications.
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