Steelers Should Worry About Brandon Aiyuk's Offseason Behavior Before Trading With 49ers: "Has Been Sort Of Bizarre"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly been a frontrunner in a trade deal for San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. Rumors started that he was unhappy with the contract extension situation with his current team. Despite 49ers General Manager John Lynch's prior statement that they have no plans to let him go, Aiyuk has still not inked a deal with the team that drafted him in 2020. That has led to his recent formal trade request.

Of course, the Steelers aren't the only team trying to work out a deal with Aiyuk, but the two can't seem to avoid being connected. If the Steelers sign Aiyuk, it would go against how the franchise historically does things. A player of his caliber will come with a large price tag, large enough that he isn't willing to stay with a team that has been a Super Bowl contender the past few years. On top of his contract, Pittsburgh would also have to work out the trade with San Francisco, which costs draft capital. 

Beyond the monetary value, Brian Batko from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also worries that he has an emotional price tag. Recently, he joined fellow reporter Adam Bittner on the North Shore Drive Podcast and discussed the Aiyuk trade. 

"It's just been strange the way this has all played out with Aiyuk," said Batko. "He's not only a guy who's a bit disgruntled and feels he needs to be paid more compared to his peers around the league, but the way he's handled all of this, too, has been sort of bizarre. That's the one thing, it's like does that not give us any pause or any hesitation in Steeler Nation land? I'm not saying he's a bad guy or anything, but just the way he's filming himself FaceTiming and putting some behind-the-scenes business out there on Front Street, it just makes me wonder what would be the dynamic if he comes in here with George Pickens? And clearly, I don't think he would come here unless the Steelers are ready to back the Brinks truck up for him, and what kind of schism does that cause?"

The Steelers have shown the ability to find and develop impressive receivers, like Antonio Brown. However, like they also did with Brown, they are known to cut the cord with players who start to bring drama. Just ask Diontae Johnson, who was traded after the 2023 season. Johnson had been disgruntled for some time with his number of targets and the quarterback situation. Pittsburgh did what they always do: they let him move on, trading him to the Carolina Panthers. They proved again that they won't be held hostage by a player. After all, as Batko pointed out, it isn't like this is a top-three quarterback we're discussing. 

Aiyuk would certainly bring elite talent to the wide receiver room. For the 2023 season, Pro Football Focus ranked him second overall. However, Pickens seemed to feed off Johnson's discontent the past few years. The Steelers will have to evaluate if they want to revisit life on the path of a vocally discontented player again. 

Steelers' Calvin Austin III Ready To Step Up

You learn to never say never in football. After all, no one had Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on the Steelers' roster for 2024. That means it is still possible that the team could sign Aiyuk, but many analysts feel that the Steelers will just roll into the season with the group they already have, which includes Calvin Austin III.

Austin showed during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamp that he still has the tremendous speed that made him so attractive in the 2022 draft. While it is impossible to fully evaluate players until they play with pads, Austin showed that he can slip past defenders and turn the corner. That is good news, considering he looked inconsistent during the 2023 season. If Austin is ready to make that big leap, it will go a long way towards helping the Steelers wide receiving corps. 

Does Aiyuk's attitude change your feelings about the Steelers possibly trading for him? Click to comment below.

#SteelerNation