NFL insider shuts down Steelers' chances of trading for Brandon Aiyuk

It was probably never going to happen anyway. For better or worse, the Pittsburgh Steelers are stubborn as hell and are always going to do things their way. They don't fire head coaches, nor do they acquire wide receivers of note from other teams. It is why Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated threw some more cold water on the Steelers trying to acquire San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk.

He has done it before, and he will do it again. This time, Breer answered the question in the mailbag portion of his column. Not to be overly condescending, but I do find hilarity in Breer's response. He can be a funny guy, and I love that about him. Basically, the last time the Steelers added a leading receiver to their roster who wasn't home grown was during World War II. Nobody alive remembers it.

Ever since Chuck Noll took over the team, the Steelers have done a great job of drafting receivers.

"We’ve been through this. The Pittsburgh Steelers really don’t go outside the organization to fill that position. Don Looney was the last player to be Pittsburgh’s leading receiver in any single season who wasn’t homegrown, and that was during World War II. They draft and develop, sometimes to a fault, at that spot."

Although I would argue that Aiyuk could be exactly what the Steelers need to round out their receiving corps, as George Pickens is simply too mercurial to be a trusted No. 1 in this league, I haven't thought the Aiyuk connection to the Steelers was anything more than rumors. The team I thought he had the best shot of going to was the Washington Commanders, who turned him down.

All in all, this is turning into a such mess, one where Aiyuk cannot stop sending cryptic messages.

Albert Breer says Brandon Aiyuk is not going to the Pittsburgh Steelers

I have been over this and over this all offseason long. It is all about power in Pittsburgh. Nobody is more powerful in the building than head coach Mike Tomlin. Because of his innate ability to win at least nine games annually, he can operate without consequence. Pittsburgh thrives on being able to overcome adversity organizationally, but so much of it of late has been of the self-inflicted variety.

Hiring former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to be the new offensive coordinator feels like an easy target to be scapegoated. He may have been a great offensive mind when he was coordinating the Tennessee Titans offense, but his undying love for running the football often led to frustrating moments week in and week out in Atlanta. It is why he was let go after three 7-10 seasons.

As for how Aiyuk fits into all this, he really doesn't. He has complained about not getting the ball in Kyle Shanahan's offense. While it is one that is very ground-centric, it does require the quarterback to spread the ball around far more than in Smith's system. It may be a reflection on Brock Purdy's inherent limitations coming out of Iowa State. He has overachieved, but Aiyuk has been limited a bit.

My money is on Aiyuk returning to San Francisco on a new deal because we are running out of time.