Will the Steelers bring one of the 49ers’ wide receivers to the 412?
Let’s be honest about something; the Steelers won’t stop hearing about trade rumors until either they trade for a wide receiver or the trade deadline makes doing so impossible. The talk about trades rejuvenated a bit recently, however, with “news” that the Steelers reportedly came close to one.
Reportedly, many around the league believed during the draft that the Steelers felt they had a trade consummated. They felt they had a deal in place for either Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel, we don’t know which, during the draft.
The fact that the Steelers restructured Alex Highsmith’s contract lends credence to this notion. We also can’t ignore the fact that the 49ers drafted a wide receiver in the first round. Not only that, they just signed Jauan Jennings to an extension. Keep connecting the dots and the picture starts looking like San Francisco shipping Aiyuk or Samuel out of town.
The problem is neither side feels pressured to make a move. The Steelers, so it seems, are willing to move forward, for now, with what they have. And the worst-case scenario for the 49ers is that they have too many good wide receivers while trying to win a Super Bowl. I think they can live with that if they don’t manage to unload one of their starting wide receivers.
As is typical for the Steelers, they are unlikely to feel any urgency for weeks. They will take a good look at what they have in the first weeks of training camp, and then they’ll decide if they need to upgrade the wide receiver position. And they will have options other than the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently said he believes the Steelers’ No. 2 WR is not currently in Pittsburgh. He also said when pressed that he believes Aiyuk or Samuel are the most likely possibilities who will fill that role come September. Will the Steelers make him right? We’ll find out sooner or later.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
