The Pittsburgh Steelers are in desperate need of a formidable wide receiver to play opposite of George Pickens. Diontae Johnson was that guy for the first two seasons of Pickens' career, but General Manager Omar Khan decided to trade Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. The organization added Van Jefferson, and most recently, Quez Watkins, but there is still work to be done at the position. Rumors have been swirling about the team targeting San Francisco 49ers' emerging star, Brandon Aiyuk. The possibility of a trade commencing seems much more unlikely after General Manager John Lynch spoke to the media on Monday.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson allows a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of 2023 during a contest at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
The 49ers general manager spoke to members of the media during the NFL's Annual League Meetings in Orlando, FL, and based on a video shared on X from Tracy Sandler of Fangirl Sports Network, there isn't anything going on between the Steelers and 49ers regarding Aiyuk. General managers can't always be trusted when they speak to the media, but Lynch seemed pretty adamant about the situation.
"I was just with Mike Tomlin, ya know, at the Michigan Pro Day and Mike coached me, so we're very close and he's like, 'Bro, what's going on?' I promise you. Nothing's going on. We're actively talking with Brandon trying to figure something out."
This comes as negative news for Steelers fans interested in landing the 2020 first-round pick. Aiyuk was phenomenal in 2023, hauling in 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. San Francisco still has the highest-paid position in quarterback at a relatively cheap price given the fact that Brock Purdy remains on his rookie contract. Based on Lynch's comments, it seems as if the organization has no intention to trade the star in the making.
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San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk looks to make a move to beat Steelers safety Damontae Kazee in a regular season game in 2023.
Lynch continued talking about the situation and offered an interesting comment about it taking two to tango. He's not sure that Aiyuk and his camp will come to any kind of agreement with the 49ers.
"It takes two sides. Can we do that? We'll see. There's a number of different directions it could go, but we appreciate the heck out of Brandon and who he is as a player," Lynch said.
His final comments on the matter are interesting. If Aiyuk shows no desire to re-sign at San Francisco's price, it's extremely possible they decide to trade him while he could be acquired for a second, or maybe even first-round pick. Members of a team's front office rarely show their cards. Recently, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Khan both said they were looking forward to Kenny Pickett's third season. He has since been traded.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin yells in the direction of one of his players during warmups prior to a 2022 preseason game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Will Need To Improve Wide Receiver Room Prior To 2024 Season
While Aiyuk may not be the target, a positional group of Pickens, Jefferson, Calvin Austin III and Watkins isn't exactly attractive for a top four. The draft will absolutely be in play, but it seems like Pittsburgh may have something else going on as well. More will become available in the coming weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, but it sure is an interesting situation.
Did you expect the Steelers to trade for Aiyuk? Let us know in the comments below!
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