Did trading WR Diontae Johnson ultimately cost the Steelers Brandon Aiyuk?
The Brandon Aiyuk saga finally ended last night when he agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension to remain with the San Francisco 49ers. While certain individuals are now comfortable taking a victory lap acting as though this was always the inevitable outcome, the true is likely far from that. The 49ers and Aiyuk explored numerous variables and contingencies, but ultimately none panned out. The Pittsburgh Steelers came closest to meeting the criteria for both the 49ers and Aiyuk—and they may have been able to seal the deal if not for trading away Diontae Johnson.
You see, we already knew that the 49ers, a Super Bowl favorite, wanted a replacement wide receiver for Brandon Aiyuk. If the Steelers didn’t trade Diontae Johnson, they would have had one to send back to the 49ers. Instead, the Steelers dealt Johnson to the Panthers for CB Donte Jackson. Reportedly, the 49ers attempted to trade for Courtland Sutton from the Broncos before trading Aiyuk to the Steelers. The Broncos would not agree to such a trade, though, and San Francisco turned back to re-signing Aiyuk instead. If the Steelers had a starting-caliber receiver—like Diontae Johnson—to send to the 49ers, this deal may have happened.
It’s all theoretical at this point, because the ship has sailed. But hypothetically, would you rather have Donte Jackson and a late-round pick or Brandon Aiyuk and lose a second-round pick? The Steelers created a hole they never filled by trading Johnson, but they did close one in the secondary.
To be fair to Donte Jackson, he does look like he’ll be a solid player—but he’s obviously not Aiyuk. The Steelers were reportedly willing to send the 49ers second-and third-round picks. They were willing to pay Aiyuk nearly $28 million per season. And perhaps they could have done that if they didn’t trade Johnson for Jackson.
Of course, the Steelers would still need to fill the hole at cornerback that they addressed in the Johnson trade. Cory Trice Jr. and Darius Rush are not exactly guys you want to plan on starting right now. If they didn’t trade for Jackson, they may have taken a cornerback in the first or second round. There’s always a ripple effect, strengthening one area while weakening another. But one thing we know is the Steelers are a lot weaker at wide receiver without Brandon AIyuk.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
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? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
