As the Brandon Aiyuk saga reaches another level this offseason with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting contract talks have “stalled” and Aiyuk posting on TikTok that the 49ers don’t want him back, trade speculation is going to heat up regarding the standout receiver.
For NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, if Aiyuk is available via trade, there is one perfect match between player and team: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jeremiah tweeted his thoughts on the perfect match between Aiyuk and the Steelers Monday following the latest round of news in contract extension talks between Aiyuk and the 49ers.
“If Brandon Aiyuk is truly available via trade (don’t know) I could make a strong argument Pittsburgh would be a perfect match,” Jeremiah writes on Twitter regarding Aiyuk and the Steelers.
If Brandon Aiyuk is truly available via trade (don’t know) I could make a strong argument Pittsburgh would be a perfect match.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) June 17, 2024
While he made it clear he does not know if Aiyuk is truly available via trade, the speculation regarding a perfect match with the Steelers does appear rather solid on paper.
After trading wide receiver Diontae Johnson this offseason in a swap with the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson, the Steelers never adequately addressed the wide receiver position post-Johnson. The Steelers did select Michigan’s Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but outside of Wilson, Pittsburgh appears set to lean on Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Quez Watkins, Marquez Callaway and Denzel Mims to battle it out behind George Pickens on the depth chart.
The Steelers need that elite-level route runner and separator. Aiyuk is that and would be a great fit as a true X in the Steelers’ offense.
He’s a tough, physical receiver, too, one who thrives in contested-catch situations as well. He’s a very good blocker, too, something the Steelers saw up close and in person last season in the season-opener at Acrisure Stadium on running back Christian McCaffrey’s 65-yard touchdown run.
YINZ SEE THAT?? @CMC_22
📺 #SFvsPIT on FOX
📱 NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/gQXH3ih8Ak— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 10, 2023
That type of mentality and effort Aiyuk brings as a blocker fits perfectly into offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme.Â
Add that the Steelers have the resources and the cap space available to go out and make a move, as GM Omar Khan stated last week regarding the Steelers’ cap situation, and it appears like the best possible — and logical — fit for Aiyuk from the 49ers’ perspective is the Steelers.
According to former NFL GM Michael Lombardi, the 49ers and Steelers potentially had a deal in place during the 2024 NFL Draft, but never got it over the finish line. Could they now revisit with contract talks having stalled and Aiyuk again expressing his frustration publicly?
It will be very interesting to see what transpires over the next six weeks between Aiyuk and the 49ers before training camp.
