Traeshon Holden packed only one season’s worth of memories into Eugene, but he made them count. After transferring from Alabama, the 6-foot-3 wideout gave Oregon the vertical punch it needed, stretching the field for 718 yards and five touchdowns on just 45 grabs—an eye-popping 16 yards a catch that kept Autzen Stadium buzzing all autumn. Coaches raved about how easily he blended into a veteran receiver room, and teammates loved the way he celebrated their scores as loudly as his own. It felt as if Holden had spent four years in green and yellow, not one.

That quick bond helped explain why the NFL came calling so fast. Undrafted yet undeterred, Holden signed with the Dallas Cowboys in May and turned every summer practice into a personal showcase. By the time preseason ended, he had hauled in four passes for 64 yards, including a 42-yard sideline toe-tap that made the highlight reels. Dallas media started penciling him onto mock 53-man rosters, and fans dubbed him the camp surprise they didn’t know they needed.

Then came cut-down day. With roster math squeezing the Cowboys to five receivers, Holden was waived just hours before the deadline, a move first reported by insider Jordan Schultz and confirmed by multiple outlets. It’s a gut punch on paper, yet the market reacted immediately; several clubs are already circling, seeing value in a rookie who produced every chance he got. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Las Vegas, all thin at outside receiver, have been floated as logical waiver claims, each offering a clearer path to snaps than Dallas could guarantee.

Holden’s own response? A two-word prayer, “Thank you, lord 💙”, posted minutes after the news broke. That steady calm mirrors what Cowboys coordinator Brian Schottenheimer saw all summer: “Every day he shows up, I mean he really does. Every day he makes a play. … And when you do that, you get noticed, and when you do that, you get more opportunities, and just proud of him. You’ll see him moving up the depth chart.” Schottenheimer’s quote now doubles as a resume line for any team weighing a claim: this kid never disappears, no matter how crowded the depth chart.

Wherever Holden lands, Oregon fans will track every rep the way they once tracked every deep ball down the left hash. His Ducks stint proved he can learn a playbook on the fly and win locker rooms just as quickly. His Dallas cameo showed the leap from Saturdays to Sundays isn’t too big. Whether it’s the Steelers’ black and gold or the Raiders’ silver and black, somebody’s about to give him a second audition, just in time for the regular-season curtain to rise.

Why Pittsburgh’s receiver search points to Traeshon Holden

Traeshon Holden’s skill set lines up neatly with what Pittsburgh needs right now. The Athletic’s Diana Russini has reported that the Steelers are actively looking for more receiver depth, a search driven by the simple math of their current room: after new No. 1 target D.K. Metcalf, the lineup tilts toward smaller, slot-friendly options like Calvin Austin III and gadget vet Scotty Miller. Traeshon Holden gives them something they lack, a 6-foot-3 boundary threat who can win downfield the way Metcalf does, letting offensive coordinator Arthur Smith keep his outside alignments symmetrical without overloading Metcalf’s snap count.

Draft history only sharpens the fit. Pittsburgh left the 2025 draft without spending a single pick on a wideout, banking instead on internal growth from rookie Roman Wilson and the aging legs of Robert Woods. Two weeks of camp later, Wilson is still learning the route tree, and Woods is being rationed through veteran rest days, leaving Aaron Rodgers with a top-heavy arsenal that could use one more vertical option. Holden’s 16-yards-per-catch average at Oregon shows he can stretch a defense; his four-grab, 64-yard preseason cameo with Dallas proves he can do it against NFL speed. For a front office that values low-risk, high-upside swings, a waiver claim on a 22-year-old Duck checks every box.

Finally, there’s the locker-room calculus. Mike Tomlin prizes what he calls “above-the-neck talent,” and Holden’s response to being waived speaks to a teammate who keeps setbacks in perspective. Cowboys coordinator Brian Schottenheimer vouched for that mindset. Plug that attitude into a receiver room still jelling with Metcalf and Rodgers, and you have more than depth, you have a culture fit who’s hungry enough to make the 53 and talented enough to stick once he does.