Brandon Aiyuk will either sign a long-term extension with the San Francisco 49ers or be traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, elevating a wide receiver room that has questions behind George Pickens. With Aiyuk added to Pittsburgh’s offense, former NFL defensive lineman and current ESPN analyst Chris Canty believes it would be like handing Russell Wilson or Justin Fields (whoever starts at quarterback), “the keys of a Ferrari.”
“The Pittsburgh Steelers need a player like Brandon Aiyuk, and it’s hard to find those kind of guys, ’cause usually when teams got ’em, they don’t let ’em walk out the building,” Canty said on Unsportsmanlike on ESPN Radio Wednesday morning.
He added that Pickens’ is the team’s only “home run hitter,” and they could add Aiyuk to round out their receiver room.
“All of a sudden now, if you get that as a skill-position core, you are handing the keys of a Ferrari to Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.”
Aiyuk would give the Steelers another No. 1 option alongside Pickens, and the two would form one of the better wide receiver duos in the league. Add Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and all of a sudden, Pittsburgh’s weapons look pretty solid with Aiyuk in the fold.
Just how much of an upgrade Aiyuk would be remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that adding another legitimate top receiver makes Pittsburgh’s offense better. Aiyuk is an elite route runner and separator, and he could work deep or underneath in Pittsburgh’s offense. His presence alone would also free up Pickens and Freiermuth, and the Steelers’ passing game and offense would look a heck of a lot better.
Right now, the hold-up in a deal is that San Francisco doesn’t seem to want to move him, and the two sides are reportedly working on a long-term extension. If an extension can’t get done in San Francisco though, then it seems as if Aiyuk could be sent to Pittsburgh in relatively short order. The Aiyuk saga remains one of the biggest stories in the NFL, but it sounds like it should all be wrapped up in a matter of days. Of course, that’s also how it felt early last week, and we’re still here.
San Francisco is reportedly Aiyuk’s preferred choice if it will pay him, but that’s been the hold-up all offseason. If that changes, Aiyuk will be a 49er in 2024 and beyond. If the 49ers hold firm, Aiyuk will be a Steeler in 2024 and beyond. We’ll see what happens, but Pittsburgh’s offensive weapons definitely move closer to the category of a Ferrari if Aiyuk is indeed dealt.
