Brandon Aiyuk may have mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers by name, but I wouldn’t rush out for that Black-and-Gold jersey. The San Francisco wide receiver still handicapped his future team in favor of the 49ers. He even named the Washington Commanders ahead of the Steelers. But the case for Pittsburgh remains alive—perhaps for both sides, certainly for Aiyuk, unless it’s just a bargaining chip.
Anywhere he goes, Aiyuk knows he is going there to be the top target—if he leaves. He probably holds that role in San Francisco, but he has to share a lot there. They are already paying Deebo Samuel, and they just drafted another wide receiver in the first round. With the Steelers, all they have is George Pickens—and Brian Batko doesn’t think he sees that as a threat.
“Aiyuk is probably thinking, ‘I’m a lot more accomplished, I’ve had a lot more success in the league so far than this guy. I’d come in as top dog right away, probably get paid, and have a nice little tenure here’, he said on 93.7 The Fan yesterday.
Over the past two seasons, Brandon Aiyuk has caught 153 passes on 219 targets. He has recorded 2,357 receiving yards with 15 touchdowns. In comparison, George Pickens has caught 115 passes on 190 yards. He has recorded 1,941 receiving yards with nine touchdowns.
You can compare and contrast their offenses and quarterback situations, but neither Pickens nor Aiyuk have been ideally set up to succeed. You can argue that Brock Purdy is the best quarterback of the lot, but the 49ers don’t throw the ball. They literally finished 32nd in the NFL in pass attempts—yet fourth in yards and second in touchdowns. They rely on high-efficiency play, averaging 13.6 yards per reception. The Steelers averaged 10.6 yards per reception, for comparison.
The Steelers obviously have a high opinion of George Pickens, empowering them to trade Diontae Johnson. But they probably do think that Brandon Aiyuk is better, or at least more reliable from play to play. Both are very talented, but Aiyuk clearly has the more impressive resume—in twice the time, granted.
That’s the issue with making this trade for the Steelers, because it’s essentially committing to Aiyuk over Pickens. Unless the Steelers are willing to pay huge sums to two wide receivers, Pickens is likely going to leave after 2025. And what if he develops into a top wide receiver by then?
Pickens clearly suffered from the quality of quarterback play the last two seasons, primarily with Kenny Pickett. The Steelers turned over the entire quarterback room, led now by Russell Wilson. But how do we evaluate the impact of Brock Purdy on Aiyuk’s numbers? How do we quantify the Kyle Shanahan system versus the Matt Canada calamity?
