Davante Adams may want to be in Pittsburgh because ‘players love playing for Mike Tomlin,’ says former Steelers OT

Brandon Aiyuk was the wide receiver most rumored to land on the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, but he may not be their only option. The Steelers’ weakest link right now is receiver, as the roster consists of George Pickens and a handful of question marks. There is no definitive No. 2 option, and the Steelers know they need to add another productive player to that roster. A former Steelers offensive tackle believes Mike Tomlin could be a big selling point for them to sign a player like Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams.

Ryan Harris played tackle in the NFL from 2007-2016, spending the last year with the Steelers after winning Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos the previous season. Now Harris works as an analyst, and during a recent appearance on CBS Sports HQ, he talked about teams that could potentially sign Adams. He brought up the Steelers’ name, although they aren’t as heavily associated with Adams as they are with Aiyuk because of the way players view Tomlin.

“The Pittsburgh Steelers could use Davante Adams, and players love playing for Mike Tomlin, like I did when I was with the Steelers,” Harris said. “Sometimes that comes into play, too.”

Tomlin’s reputation among NFL players is well known, and Harris isn’t the first to say how much they enjoyed playing for him. As a coach, he has his issues, but motivation and honesty are what make Tomlin special. If he is indeed traded, Adams won’t have the final say on where he goes, but he could provide the Raiders with a list of teams he would feel most comfortable with. The Steelers don’t have the best quarterback situation in the league, but the opportunity to play with Tomlin could appeal to Adams.

However, this is all speculation at the moment, even more so than with Aiyuk, as Adams hasn’t even requested a trade yet. Even if he does, the common theory around the league is that he wants to be reunited with his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets. Considering Adams and Rodgers worked magic together for eight years with the Green Bay Packers, that desire might outweigh the respect Adams has for Tomlin.

Although Adams has been one of the best receivers in the league for several years, including last year when he had bad quarterbacks throwing to him, he may not make sense for the Steelers. Adams turns 32 this season and has several years left on his current contract. It would probably still require a fair amount of draft capital to trade him. Overall, it’s a fun scenario, but if the Steelers want to sign a top receiver, Aiyuk is more likely and makes more sense than Adams.