Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan has been blowing minds this offseason as he has filled in gaps on the roster and strengthened weak areas. That included a surprise restructuring of the entire quarterback room with Kenny Pickett being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, the signing of Russell Wilson, and the trade for Justin Fields.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin (left) shakes hands with Russell Wilson (right).
However, after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, the Steelers still have not addressed the wide receiver room fully. That has only fueled the rumors that have been swirling that they are interested in a top receiver like Justin Jefferson or Brandon Aiyuk.
Sources: The Steelers have looked into 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk. He’s entering the last year of his contract. Steelers would have to execute a sign and trade. But they’ve shown interest. pic.twitter.com/Ftef5j2Ddr
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) March 19, 2024
Now there is confirmation that the Steelers are actually interested in Aiyuk, one of the top receivers in the league. Aiyuk has been exploiting defenses along with the San Francisco 49ers high powered offense since being drafted in 2020 out of Arizona State. According to a post made by Andrew Fillipponi from 93.7 The Fan, the Steelers absolutely are testing the waters with Aiyuk and the 49ers.
"Sources: The Steelers have looked into 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk. He's entering the last year of his contract. Steelers would have to execute a sign and trade. But they've shown interest," posted Fillipponi.
The Steelers' top wide receiver, after the release of Johnson, is George Pickens who is entering his third season in Pittsburgh. Now that Khan has brought in Wilson to be under center, he will need to ensure that he is surrounded by targets to be successful.
X: @mattfreedpghpg
Steelers receiver George Pickens (14) makes an acrobatic catch over Levi Wallace in camp in Latrobe, PA.
Aiyuk is familiar to Head Coach Mike Tomlin (no, not just because there is a resemblance), but because he was partly responsible for the thumping Pittsburgh got in Week 1 by the 49ers in 2023. In that 30-7 loss, Aiyuk had eight catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Steelers' Omar Khan Has Shown He Can Make Big Trades
The Steelers have never felt like a team that would go all in on the big-name trade. It just wasn't their identity under former General Manager Kevin Colbert. But there is a new sheriff in town and Khan has shown that he can and will put his neck out there.
He managed to secure the Steelers two quarterbacks for next to nothing. In the Johnson trade, which fans were initially critical of, he not only made an excellent player swap, but he also saved the team about $5 million.
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson allows a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of 2023
Steelers Cost For Aiyuk?
With Aiyuk, things become a little cloudy because of the fact he's going to require a huge new contract wherever he lands. That also means the compensation going back to the 49ers will be less.
PSA sign-and-trades don’t happen in the NFL. Acquiring a player and giving him an extension isn’t a sign-and-trade. However, it lowers the price to acquire, so probably one maybe two mid-round picks would do it, if he’d agree to terms of the extension PIT would offer. https://t.co/vgjFSvHmhB
— Neal Coolong (@NealCoolong) March 19, 2024
Neal Coolong, who has worked for various outlets, believes the Steelers could potentially land Aiyuk for a mid round pick or two. The 49ers likely want a first round pick, but as with any trade, the longer there isn't a deal in place, the less the return will likely be. All you have to do is look at the return the Steelers sent to the Bears for Justin Fields.
Do you think Khan will go after Aiyuk? Do you think he is a good fit in Pittsburgh? Click to comment below.
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