PITTSBURGH, PA — The Pittsburgh Steelers have continued to monitor the back-and-forth of the San Francisco 49ers and star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. To this point, there was believed to be a window open for a trade during the NFL Draft. Since then, it’s become more of a waiting game, but no one is ruling out a blockbuster move before the season.
With Aiyuk and the 49ers reportedly far apart on contract negotiations and the Steelers being a team that was already willing to make a move for him, they remain the top contender for the wideout. The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher recently named them the most likely landing spot for the All-Pro this upcoming season.
“Pittsburgh does have George Pickens, who is heading into Year 3. While the 2023 season was a nice improvement for him, some maturity concerns might scare Pittsburgh off from giving him a long-term deal. However, the Steelers are in win-now mode, and Mike Tomlin needs his team to have some success in the postseason after seven consecutive years without a playoff win,” Mosher writes.
“Adding Aiyuk would help make their offense more explosive and give them a bonafide No. 1 receiver for whoever is at quarterback. The Steelers have been aggressive in pursuing Aiyuk and are probably the most likely team to land the former first-round pick from Arizona State.”
The other teams included in the list are the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Washington Commanders.
Any move for Aiyuk will likely have to wait until training camp or closer to the season. San Francisco remains confident they’ll get a deal done, and while it doesn’t seem likely on the outside, they’ll continue to try until they have no other choice.
If Aiyuk does not show up for training camp, and the 49ers believe they could miss out on a season with him, a move is most-likely to get done. But for the Steelers and any other team waiting for an opening, it could be some time before they can strike.
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