49ers may have done the Steelers a favor by not trading Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers dominated headlines throughout the offseason for a tumultuous contract dispute with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

As the two sides went back and forth on an extension, record-setting deals across the league kept resetting the wide receiver market. As Aiyuk’s contractual holdout from training camp inched closer to the regular season, the disgruntled wideout officially requested a trade.

Although the Niners ultimately managed to sign Aiyuk to a long-term contract extension, there was a point when the Pittsburgh Steelers had emerged as a likely candidate to acquire the standout receiver.

After trading away wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh was searching for a complimentary option to play across from wide receiver George Pickens.

Steelers may be lucky to have missed out on Brandon Aiyuk

Although Pittsburgh fans were initially upset about missing out on Aiyuk, it may have been for the best. Less than one month into the season, it seems like the Steelers dodged a bullet.

Aiyuk entered Week 3 with just six catches for 71 yards through two games this season. He had just two receptions for 28 yards on a limited snap count in Week 1 against the New York Jets. In Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, Aiyuk recorded four catches for 43 yards. In Week 3, Aiyuk took a backseat to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who stepped up in the absence of wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle. Aiyuk has even struggled with uncharacteristic drops.

Although the Steelers lack a veteran wide receiver across from Pickens, their younger players have received an opportunity to develop and showcase their talent. 

Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, caught four passes for 95 yards and a touchdown during the team’s 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. That performance included an explosive 55-yard touchdown. Austin only had 13 receiving yards through two games, but he now has the second-most receiving yards on the team behind Pickens.

Aiyuk is not the first player to experience the negative effects of holding out. Even some of the best players in the league have dealt with rust after a contractual holdout in the past two years.

Niners defensive end Nick Bosa confessed that his holdout last offseason adversely affected him “a little bit” and kept him from being “locked in” with the usual rhythm of his game. Dallas Cowboys left guard Zack Martin echoed a similar sentiment during minicamp this offseason. 

Martin held out of training camp in 2023 and missed three weeks of training camp before the Cowboys added an additional $8.5 million across the next two seasons on his contract. The 34-year-old earned his ninth Pro Bowl and seventh first-team All-Pro selection in 2023, but he felt that he “came up a little bit short” of being the “dominant player” he has been throughout his career.

If the Steelers had traded for Aiyuk, they may have been dealing with the consequences of a holdout they had no part in.