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The Brandon Aiyuk trade saga has been one of the top storylines of the NFL offseason, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have been right at the forefront of it.
The star 49ers wideout has been rumored to be in talks with a number of teams on a new contract extension after talks stalled out between him and San Francisco. However, no extension has been signed and no trade has been agreed to, and the dispute has dragged all the way through the preseason.
The Steelers have been one of the most talked about teams when it comes to Aiyuk trades, but the two sides have gotten stuck on whether a current player should go back to San Francisco.
“The Steelers were willing to part with a package that included second- and third-round picks, but were unwilling to move a current player such as Pickens or a Freiermuth as part of the deal,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh has been looking for receiver help to benefit Russell Wilson, who they named their week one starter on Wednesday.
Why the Steelers are holding onto their current core
The Steelers are looking to get more dynamic on the outside, but their current crop of pass-catchers isn't totally bereft of talent. George Pickens has unlimited upside as a physical specimen who can win 50-50 balls down the field and also create yards after the catch. Pittsburgh is surely expecting a big leap from the Georgia alum in his third season. Tight end Pat Friermuth is also a youngster who has shown reliability at tight end. His targets plummeted in 2023 amid the Steelers' disastrous quarterback situation but is a solid safety blanket for his quarterback in the middle of the field.
Pittsburgh also added former Rams receiver Van Jefferson. While the former Florida Gator's numbers don't pop off the screen, Jefferson was a big part of the Super Bowl-winning Rams' passing game and has playoff experience that nobody else in the room has gained yet.
Brandon Aiyuk is on a different level than all of these players and would change the way defenses are forced to guard the Steelers. Mike Tomlin's squad is very shallow at that position despite the talent at the top. His addition would also open up the run game as defenses would have to commit more guys into coverage. However, with Aiyuk up for a lucrative new contract, it's understandable why the Steelers would be hesitant to give up current production to get him.
