As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their pursuit of San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, potential trade options have surfaced, with 49ers reporter Matt Maiocco reporting that Pittsburgh could give up multiple Day 2 selections for the All-Pro receiver. Two players who won’t be part of the deal are Steelers WR George Pickens and TE Pat Freiermuth, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on the Rothman And Ice Show that the Steelers won’t trade either in a package for Aiyuk.
“Pittsburgh’s not giving up George Pickens for Brandon Aiyuk. Pittsburgh’s not giving up Pat Freiermuth for Brandon Aiyuk. Certain things are not realistic,” Schefter said Wednesday.
It wouldn’t make sense for the Steelers to trade either of the two in a package. If the Steelers are trading for Aiyuk, they’re doing so to strengthen their offense and add a weapon. Trading Pickens or Freiermuth would subtract someone from their already thin receiving corps.
Adding Aiyuk would pair him with Pickens, while Freiermuth provides a reliable tight end option for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who likes to use the tight end in his offense. The Steelers wouldn’t make a trade for Aiyuk if it cost them one of their top two receiving weapons, and Schefter confirmed as much.
If the 49ers want a player and a pick, it would come from an area where the Steelers have a surplus of talent, like their offensive line. The whole reason they’re in on Aiyuk is because they want to upgrade their offensive weapons, and dealing from that group just wouldn’t make any sense.
While the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots (when they were involved in the Aiyuk discussions) might’ve been open to trading a receiver, the Steelers aren’t in the same place. That may be why the two sides still reportedly haven’t agreed on compensation. We don’t know exactly what the 49ers are looking for, but head coach Kyle Shanahan did hint that another receiver may be in the cards in a potential package for Aiyuk.
From San Francisco’s side, adding Freiermuth with one year left on his deal would be dicey, given that the team already has George Kittle and likely wouldn’t want to give Freiermuth the extension he may covet. While Pickens could assimilate into their offense, the Steelers understandably don’t have much interest in trading him, as they would view Aiyuk as a receiver who can operate opposite Pickens on the outside. If they were to trade Pickens, they’d be in the same situation they are now with a question mark for their No. 2 option, so it just doesn’t make much sense.
We’ll see if a trade gets done, but it does seem as if Pittsburgh is the top option right now given it is his preferred destination. It seems as if a combination of draft picks would be the most likely return, but we won’t know for sure until the trade goes through, if it goes through.
