The talking points around the Pittsburgh Steelers are usually one of two things: The quarterback competition and the wide receiver room. Now that the Steelers (and the rest of the league) are in true offseason mode until they reconvene for training camp, the quarterback competition has taken a bit of a back seat to the wide receiver situation. And those discussions revolve around the need to make a move and typically San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk.
The Aiyuk talk reached a fever pitch this week after he posted a TikTok of a call between himself and Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels during which he said he didn’t feel like the 49ers wanted him back. Could the Steelers make the move to bring Aiyuk to Pittsburgh?
“If you’re gonna bring him in like in a vacuum, I endorse it,” ESPN’s Seth Walder said on Tuesday’s episode of the Chipped Ham & Football podcast. “Now to trade draft capital for the right to pay someone, I think is usually a mistake. And so, if you said to me, would you if you were the Steelers right now and you were to give a future one for the right to pay Aiyuk a market-value deal, I would not do that. You’re still not a Super Bowl contender with Brandon Aiyuk in 2024… I don’t think it makes sense for Pittsburgh in this spot.”
To hear someone express the idea that Aiyuk wouldn’t elevate the Steelers into Super Bowl contention is likely to rankle a lot of Steelers fans. After all, the Steelers have a glaring need opposite George Pickens and Aiyuk is a proven NFL wide receiver.
Aiyuk has played four NFL seasons and has 269 catches for 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns and a healthy 14.6 yards per catch. He was named second-team All-Pro in 2023 when he had career-highs in yards (1,342) and yards per catch (17.9).
The problem is that Aiyuk wants a big contract and deservedly so. That’s the issue between the former first-round draft pick and San Francisco, and that’s what the Steelers would be inheriting if they traded for him. Pittsburgh would be on the hook for both the draft capital traded and a big contract. Walder speculated that it would take a future first-round pick to get Aiyuk, who reportedly wants $30 million a year. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a franchise not known for giving massive contracts to players it did not develop.
Does that mean it’s impossible? Absolutely not. Perhaps the Steelers would be able to get Aiyuk for less than a first-round pick. But a move like this would buck a long-standing trend for the Steelers. Maybe that’s exactly what the team needs to get back to winning playoff games.
But is Brandon Aiyuk the missing piece for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Walder says that he isn’t. But how the front office and coaching staff answer that question would determine whether or not this deal is worth it.
You can watch the entire episode of Chipped Ham & Football below:
