It's safe to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to put together trades that help improve the team's offense in recent years.
One of the top trade stories in the league this year was when the Steelers accepted a deal that sent wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Fast forward to now, Pickens has totaled 1,142 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. The Steelers' entire wide receiver room has 1,114 yards combined.
The Pittsburgh move appears to be a mistake, and more information has come out on how the team managed George Pickens during his time with the Steelers. It appears that they missed on a deal that could have sent the San Francisco 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk to the team as well.
More: 49ers GM John lynch weighs in on the chance of Brandon Aiyuk returning this season
Lombardi: Steelers 'weren't willing to move' Pickens for Aiyuk in 2024
More information has developed since 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk signed his contract extension with the team in 2024, just for it to be voided due to the receiver not meeting obligations that were included in the deal.
According to 49ers insider David Lombardi, San Francisco wanted George Pickens included in a deal for Brandon Aiyuk during trade discussions with the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2024 NFL season.
Pittsburgh wasn't interested in moving Pickens at the time, and later settled for a deal that sent him to the Dallas Cowboys a year later.
Now, Pickens is expected to land a huge contract extension after putting up impressive numbers in his first year at Dallas.
Meanwhile, Aiyuk hasn't played a single down with the 49ers in 2025 while recovering from a season-ending knee surgery in 2024. This could mean that the wide receiver's time in San Francisco could be coming to an end.
If Aiyuk does get released by the 49ers at the end of 2025, the Steelers could emerge as a team interested in the 27-year-old. Until then, Pittsburgh will have to rely on DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin II, and Roman Wilson to get them back to the playoffs.
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