The Brandon Aiyuk saga continues to heat up in the NFL landscape as the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and the standout wide receiver appears close to coming to a head.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, despite being believed to be out of the conversation Monday night, are very much in the trade discussions currently for the standout receiver, much like they have been all offseason dating back to the 2024 NFL Draft.
While there is buzz generating that Aiyuk could land at his preferred destination of Pittsburgh soon, one point that isn’t really being talked about currently is one that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko raised during an appearance on 937 The Fan’s PM Show Tuesday: How will this affect George Pickens?
Entering training camp for the Steelers at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pickens was very clearly the WR1 for the team, especially after the trade of WR Diontae Johnson this off-season to the Carolina Panthers, and the Steelers then not adequately replacing him on the roster.
So far in training camp, Pickens has made some great plays and appears to have truly grabbed hold of the WR1 role for the Steelers, taking on a leadership role within the team’s wide receiver room. But a potential Aiyuk addition would change the dynamics in the receiver room for Pittsburgh, and on the field.
“That aspect of it is fascinating to me because I thought it was telling him when they traded Diontae Johnson, ‘Hey George, you’re the alpha now. You’re the guy, you’re the top dog, you’re gobbling up all the targets. We’re streamlining it to you even when you’re covered, you’re still open, don’t worry,'” Batko said when speculating how things would change if Aiyuk were acquired, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan on YouTube. “Well, this would change that calculation in a major way to bring in [Brandon] Aiyuk and, you’d hope that you’re gonna be a really two-dimensional explosive offense with those guys.”
Pickens was in line for a huge role for the Steelers in 2024, especially with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in the fold and understanding what type of talent and weapon he has on the outside. So, too, do quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
But adding a talent like Aiyuk, along with the money they’d have to pay him, would undoubtedly change that dynamic. In that scenario, Aiyuk would presumably be the No. 1 and Pickens would be the 1A or the WR2. Target shares would be very interesting to see in a run-heavy offense for Aiyuk and Pickens.
That could potentially lead to some frustrations for Pickens, who has had issues with controlling his emotions in the past.
For Batko, not only would an addition of Aiyuk change the dynamics in the WR room, it would also potentially signal a change for Pickens’ future, too, potentially making him a one-contract receiver.
“Yes, I do. I don’t think there’s any way you’re getting that business done with George if you’re paying Aiyuk what he wants,” Batko said. “And that would be an interesting dynamic for him the rest of this season and next offseason.”
Pickens has two years left on his rookie contract, including the 2024 season. With the way the WR market has exploded in recent months, and with the way Pickens has produced and developed his first two seasons, it would be quite interesting to see what type of deal Pickens would command.
But that second contract likely wouldn’t come from the Steelers in the scenario in which Aiyuk is acquired. A lot of factors at play here, and a lot of dominoes that could potentially fall with a move for Aiyuk by the Steelers.
