If Cooper Kupp is traded to Steelers there won't be enough eyes to roll in Baltimore

If recent rumors come true, the Baltimore Ravens will have a much harder time winning the AFC North.

The Ravens are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place with a 5-2 record. Baltimore owns the tiebreaker, for now, since they have a divisional win against the Cincinnati Bengals from their Week 5 matchup.

The 2024 NFL season has been nuts. Bonkers. Cuckoo bananas - unlike any other. We've seen the resurgence of the overlooked quarterback group, headlined by Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Running backs Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley are showing being labeled as washed only adds more shine to their game.

Oh, and seemingly every superstar wide receiver is finding a new home. Apparently, it's a trend.

If Cooper Kupp is traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ravens fans can only shrug in dismay

The trade frenzy kicked off when the New York Jets landed Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders. Just hours later, the Buffalo Bills responded by acquiring Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns.

Not to be outdone, the Kansas City Chiefs made headlines of their own, snagging DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans, ensuring the trade carousel kept turning at full speed.

"It'll be fine," they said, "It'll be fun." Well, on the outside looking in, it's not all that fun. Actually, things might get much worse with Alex Ballentine from B/R suggesting the Steelers should and could make an assertive run at Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp.

"The Steelers need another receiving threat to pair with George Pickens to be taken seriously in the AFC," Ballentine states. "Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have shown promise at quarterback, and the defense has not been the problem in Pittsburgh."

Unfortunately, he's spot-on with his analysis - cue the Scooby Do "Ruh-Roh."

Kupp has had his fair share of injuries. He's missed four games already this season with an ankle injury. He's missed five games in 2023 and eight in 2022. While that's pretty alarming for a 31-year-old receiver, Pittsburgh doesn't have an internal option remotely close to Kupp's talent level to work alongside George Pickens.

And that is fantastic news for the Ravens. However, it's been reported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Rams are "definitely taking calls" on Kupp. Who's to say Pittsburgh hasn't picked up the phone?

The idea of Cooper Kupp in black and gold is enough to make Ravens fans lose sleep. Kupp’s chemistry with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields could be a nightmare scenario, especially for a Baltimore secondary that’s struggled against any receiver this season.

The Steelers have consistently been linked to wide receiver trade rumors. During the offseason, they were frequently mentioned as a potential landing spot for San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk. More recently, Pittsburgh was rumored to be in the mix for Davante Adams before the Raiders ultimately sent him to the Jets. It feels like it's only a matter of time before they get their guy.

Sure, Kupp’s injury history is a real concern, but Pittsburgh has shown it’s not afraid to gamble when it comes to adding talent. Even a 75% version of Kupp is a massive upgrade to their current receiving corps. This would be a nightmare scenario for the Ravens and their fans.

As if Adams, Cooper, and Hopkins weren't enough - if Kupp is dealt to the Steelers, he'd be another hurdle to clear to reach the Super Bowl.

With the Nov. 5 deadline fast approaching, the Ravens can’t afford to stay quiet while their biggest rival potentially lands one of the league’s elite playmakers. Baltimore's pass defense has been the Achilles heel of an otherwise solid start, and adding reinforcements on the back end seems more critical by the minute.

Ravens fans will just have to hope this is one rumor that doesn’t come true.

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