With the NFL trade deadline less than a week away, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been linked to an All-Pro caliber defender from the Los Angeles Chargers.
In need of a potential upgrade to their secondary, the Steelers were urged by former offensive lineman turned NFL analyst Max Starks to pursue a trade for Los Angeles Chargers All-Pro safety Derwin James.
“But what about a Derwin James? There might be an opportunity there,” Starks said via the In the Locker Room podcast. “A team that’s probably gonna be on the chopping block in the Chargers. … Red rover, red rover, you can send Derwin James on over.”
James, who was drafted by the Chargers in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, has cemented his place as one of the league's top safeties during
his nine-year NFL career. In 101 games, James has recorded 705 combined tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, 47 passes defended and 12 interceptions, as well as receiving one First-Team All-Pro selection, four Second-Team All-Pro selections and five Pro Bowl honors.
Unfortunately, James has dealt with a multitude of injuries during his NFL career, including this 2026 season, in which he was recently placed on injured reserve on October 31 with a hamstring setback.
Thanks to an NFL rule change in 2018, the Steelers can still trade for James despite his placement on injured reserve. James. however, would still need to pass a physical with Pittsburgh before a potential trade could be finalized.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers linked to an All-Pro safety trade
