A couple of Adam Schefter tweets about veteran WR Gabe Davis doesn’t even register to the returning group of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers. After nearly the entire 2024 offseason was dedicated to non-stop Brandon Aiyuk watch, a saga that ended with the whimper of him staying in San Francisco, rumors and reports about Davis feel like child’s play.
Almost a year after the Aiyuk storyline ended, Steelers receivers can finally laugh about it.
“It was so much speculation from February through September, August, whatever,” Calvin Austin III told KDKA anchor Cassidy Wood following Wednesday’s practice. “At this point, nothing is going to be as extreme as that.”
As seen in the clip above, Austin had to stop himself from laughing multiple times during the interview.
All of Pittsburgh, us included, were on Aiyuk watch throughout 2024. Trade rumors began early in the offseason but truly picked up ahead of the draft when the Steelers restructured EDGE Alex Highsmith’s contract to create cap space, a move the team doesn’t normally make at that time of year. It was easy to connect dots of Pittsburgh preparing to make a big splash and land Aiyuk.
The draft came and went without a trade. Speculation quieted down for a few weeks but got hot right along with the summer temps. Brandon Aiyuk began to make his own noise, sending cryptic social media posts and going on podcasts to discuss his future. The story peaked throughout training camp with non-stop coverage from local and national media.
Ultimately, no trade happened (though a rare three-team deal was nearly pulled off). Aiyuk re-signed with the 49ers on a four-year, $120 million extension on Aug. 30. Pittsburgh was left to keep searching.
“I’m gonna say the same thing,” Roman Wilson said with a laugh via the Steelers Live Twitter/X account when asked separately about the Steelers’ Aiyuk pursuit relative to Davis, echoing Austin’s comments. “I’ll welcome with open arms, but I can’t speak on it.”
Davis won’t bring the same attention. Set to visit the Steelers tomorrow, him signing a deal would be a notable but relatively mild early-June headline. Of course, Pittsburgh isn’t capable of going through an offseason without one major saga. Aiyuk last year, Aaron Rodgers this year. Maybe in 2026, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard will share the same reaction when asked about this offseason’s marquee storyline.
