Sports

Brandon Aiyuk continues to prove that the Steelers were right not to bet on him

Still Curtain · Jul 21, 2026 10:00 · 3 min read

Brandon Aiyuk continues to prove that the Steelers were right not to bet on him — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

It's been a while since the Pittsburgh Steelers were connected to a high-profile receiver in trade rumors, but they are lucky they failed to nab this one.

It wasn't that long ago that many within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization were clamoring to land star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a trade. He was in the midst of a contract battle with the San Francisco 49ers, and the playmaker wanted a massive extension, but the 49ers failed to bend in negotiations.

The Steelers were hot on his trail to land the receiver via trade, but that never materialized.

Aiyuk would eventually re-sign with San Francisco just minutes before potentially being dealt to the Steelers. It would've paired him with George Pickens back in 2024. Although it might not have moved the needle much in terms of Pittsburgh's success on offense, it would've helped. On paper, it seemed like a smart decision to chase Aiyuk in a trade back then, but hindsight shows they dodged a bullet.

Following Aiyuk's massive contract extension, he suffered a devastating injury during the 2024 campaign, which he has yet to return from. Things have turned sour between Aiyuk and the 49ers, which triggered trade speculation again. The Steelers have stayed far away from negotiations this time, and it seems like Aiyuk could be flirting with the possibility of being out of football in the near future.

Pittsburgh Steelers should thank their lucky stars they failed to trade for Brandon Aiyuk

Following the 49ers pulling guaranteed money from Brandon Aiyuk's contract, things appear to have become irreconcilable. The star player has continuously bashed the 49ers on social media since then and has been leading his cause to get out of town. He wants traded or cut so he can attempt to find another home.

There were trade rumors connecting him to the Washington Commanders, but those have slipped to the wayside recently.

The sporadic behavior of Aiyuk on social media has seemingly alienated him from many NFL squads. Adding a talented player is one thing, but taking on the baggage that Aiyuk presents is a mountainous deterrent. His only option appears to be getting cut from the 49ers, as his trade options have dried up. Even the Commanders don't seem eager to add the receiver because of his social media shenanigans.

All of this toxic off-field behavior shown by Brandon Aiyuk exposes that the Steelers dodged a bullet by failing to add him via trade in 2024. He has a big cap hit in 2026, and not only did he suffer a disastrous injury only weeks after signing a big contract, but his mentality to return to football has been questionable. Pittsburgh should be thanking their lucky stars about their outcome.

Yes, having Aiyuk paired with George Pickens would've made their offense better, but not top tier.

The Steelers would have still been far from being a quality offense during that season with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback. With all that said, pulling off that sign and trade for Aiyuk would've been terrible for the Steelers, and they are lucky that the 49ers were the ones to take the risk on him.