You, me, and everyone else will hear about Pittsburgh Steelers trade rumors involving wide receivers for the next two months, if not longer, as the post-June 1 date has now hit. That means that teams can spread out the cap hit on some players much more efficiently, and it could facilitate trade ideas. Amid the report from Michael Lombardi that the Steelers thought they had a deal done on draft night for Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk, one insider believes that the team will make a move.
Ray Fittipaldo joined 93.7 the Fan and said he believes the team’s WR2 is not currently on the roster. Given how many players the Steelers have called about on the wide receiver market, this would seem like a solid bet that they will add someone before Week 1 in Atlanta.
“I think [Brandon] Aiyuk or [Deebo] Samuel. Given what the 49ers have done, drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round, signing [Jauan] Jennings,” Fittipaldo said. “I think there’s another shoe to drop out there in San Francisco. They have too many good receivers, and they’re not gonna be able to pay all of them,” Fittipaldo said.
It’s not a crazy idea that the Steelers will call about Samuel or Aiyuk, but it does seem like the 49ers are moving forward with the idea that everyone will be back in that room this upcoming season. They do have the cap space to accommodate an Aiyuk contract for this season and then will have to move next offseason to clear some space, but it does not feel unrealistic for San Francisco to just run it back with everyone they have.
So, where would that leave the Steelers? Someone like Courtland Sutton, Darius Slayton, or someone off the radar would make plenty of sense. It does seem likely that someone will be traded, but if they are a true WR2 caliber player, it will remain to be seen in that scenario. There are upside swings like Treylon Burks, John Metchie, or someone else who the Steelers could try to land, but they are hardly proven as that WR2 option and would still bring uncertainty to the room.