The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to be in the thick of trade talks for San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk. The commotion inevitably reaches the players on the field, but all they can do is compartmentalize it. Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni says that he doesn’t even discuss it with his group—but everyone is waiting.
That includes TE Pat Freiermuth, who was one of several players asked about the trade rumors on Tuesday. “I mean, whatever happens happens”, he said about the Aiyuk trade speculation, via the Steelers’ website. “But I think the guys on our team right now, we’re hungry, we’re ready to go. If something happens, great, but we’re confident in who we have right now”.
The Steelers traded Diontae Johnson this offseason but made no other major moves, barring the third-round selection of Roman Wilson. Wilson showed some early flashes in training camp but has missed most of camp with an ankle injury. Reportedly, the Steelers were in talks for Aiyuk during the draft, but plans fell through.
Of course, teammates have supported the Steelers’ wide receivers in camp, as there’s nothing else to say. They have George Pickens, and Van Jefferson has looked “good enough”, but on the whole, the position looks like just a bunch of guys.
Adding a player like Brandon Aiyuk, though, transforms the Steelers’ offense and truly makes it a multi-dimensional unit. The only problem is that he is under contract with the 49ers, and he wants a buttload of money.
The good news is it sounds like Aiyuk wants to play for the Steelers. They just need to convince the 49ers to accept their offer, which may not be as robust as others. With the news of the New England Patriots dropping out, their options are dwindling.
The 49ers can always decide to give Aiyuk a big contract on their own, but if they were going to, you would think they would have done so already. But deadlines spur action, and we’re coming down to the wire.
They are at the point at which they have to decide if they want to pay Aiyuk more than they want or take less to get rid of him. There are reports that they have grown tired of his schtick, including his training camp hold-in.
Brandon Aiyuk holds enough cards, though, to make things uncomfortable for San Francisco and force his way to the Steelers. If he refuses trades to other teams, he could push his way to Pittsburgh, which, in Pat Freiermuth’s words, “if something happens, great”.
In the meantime, barring a new development, the Steelers will continue to work with Calvin Austin III, Quez Watkins, and Scotty Miller to flesh out this depth chart. Austin is currently listed as the third receiver along with Pickens and Jefferson as the starters. But how much more potent does this offense look with Brandon Aiyuk, George Pickens, and Van Jefferson on that first-team Steelers depth chart?
