Secret To Steelers' Successful Pursuit Of 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk Could Be In New York

The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan put themselves in a compromising position after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. It left the franchise with George Pickens atop the depth chart, but not much else when it came to answers about the supporting cast around him. There were several veteran signings to beef up depth in the room; however, no one is quite sure how the unit stands when compared to those across the NFL. This situation has caused questions and rumors to fly throughout the 2024 offseason, and no one has been more at the center of those than San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk.

There has been plenty of speculation surrounding the Steelers and 49ers' attempts to reach a deal that would end up with Aiyuk in the Steel City, but no one has truly been able to keep track of all of the differentiating reports relevant to the situation. One in particular is interesting, and would be rare if it came to fruition. Three-team trades are not common in the NFL, but Pittsburgh doesn't have a receiver other than Pickens that would likely heavily contribute to a San Francisco Super Bowl run.

Steelers insider Mark Kaboly mentioned back in July that edge rusher Alex Highsmith was an intriguing name that could come up in trade negotiations. The 49ers have Nick Bosa, but a 31-year-old Leonard Floyd and his over $10 million cap hit in 2025 may have the organization thinking about other options. Pittsburgh isn't likely to give up Highsmith, but what if a team having contractual issues with an edge rusher were to hop into the mix?

Haason Reddick is no slouch. The defender has 50.5 sacks since the 2020 season and was traded to the New York Jets from the Philadelphia Eagles in March. The main problem for New York is that the organization was not able to agree with him and his team on a long-term extension. If Kaboly commenting on Highmsith being a name to watch in the Aiyuk sweepstakes is true, Reddick is a player to keep an eye on.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini brought up the possibility of a third team getting involved in the Steelers and 49ers' negotiations as recent as Wednesday morning.

Russini's focus was on a pass-catcher, but what if a swap of Reddick and Floyd could make sense for the two franchises? There would likely be draft picks involved as well, but if Highsmith truly was a name of intrigue for the 49ers, and a three-team trade is possible, the Jets have to come into the conversation at some point.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to this crazy Aiyuk saga, but Steelers fans would likely be open to any possible solution if it didn't involve giving up a player or too much draft capital. Khan has been patient throughout the summer, and everyone throughout the league is eagerly awaiting this situation to come to an end soon.

Steelers Await As 49ers And Aiyuk Figure Out Differences

The reporting has run rampant, but at the end of the day, nothing has commenced when it comes to Aiyuk. It is absolutely possible that he is using the situation to his advantage in order to sign a massive new contract in San Francisco. It's also possible that General Manager John Lynch and co. are patiently waiting for Khan to fold and offer more. A call to Jets General Manager Joe Douglas wouldn't immediately get the deal done, but might be worth it given Reddick's current situation.

Do you think the Steelers could finally land Aiyuk if a third team gets involved? Let us know in the comments below!

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