It doesn’t appear San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk is going anywhere via trade, but if he does, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a potential landing spot. They’re one of three teams that Aiyuk said he could see himself playing for in 2024, and the 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher believes that Aiyuk to the Steelers is the most likely scenario if the 49ers move him.
In an article listing five potential destinations for Aiyuk, Mosher wrote that the Steelers are the most likely team to land him via trade.
“Adding Aiyuk would help make their offense more explosive and give them a bona fide No. 1 receiver for whoever is at quarterback. The Steelers have been aggressive in pursuing Aiyuk and are probably the most likely team to land the former first-round pick from Arizona State,” Mosher wrote.
Landing Aiyuk would be a huge boon for Pittsburgh’s offense and give the Steelers another No. 1-quality receiver along with George Pickens. While it’s unlikely to happen, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter believing Aiyuk is staying put in San Francisco, Aiyuk would be the perfect fit at receiver for the win-now Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s receiver depth next to Pickens is a mishmash of names who are looking to finally break out in Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III and Quez Watkins, along with rookie third-round pick Roman Wilson. Aiyuk would provide an elite option alongside Pickens and give Russell Wilson another premium pass catcher to throw the ball to. When Wilson was at his best in Seattle, he usually had two high-quality receivers, with guys like Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett among his favorite targets when Seattle was a Super Bowl contender.
Adding Aiyuk would catapult the Steelers’ offense to one that could be among the best in the league, with the team already improving their offensive line through the draft and hiring Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator. The Smith hire with the improved offensive line should lead to an improved rushing attack with two talented backs in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris. Add another premier receiver, and Pittsburgh’s offense would be tough to stop.
The longer Aiyuk’s contract saga drags on, the more likely a trade may become. However, Aiyuk could choose to play out the final year of his deal and look to compete for a ring with the 49ers, who are once again a Super Bowl contender. The 49ers could then choose to pay Aiyuk after the season, or he could hit the open market and likely find a team that wants to pay him the $30 million-plus per year that he’s seeking.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens, but it sounds like Aiyuk will stay in San Francisco and at this point, it’s nothing more than a pipe dream for the Steelers to acquire him. But if they do, their offense is going to be dangerous in 2024.
