A Steelers-Texans trade so we can all stop talking about Brandon Aiyuk

Trust me, Steelers fans are as tired of the Brandon Aiyuk trade talk as the rest of us. I live in Pittsburgh, and even the talking heads on sports radio have run out of ways to spin an Aiyuk deal to the Steelers. If it happens, it happens, but all signs point to Aiyuk staying by the Bay. Perhaps he was using Mike Tomlin for leverage all along.

A Steelers deal for Aiyuk never interested me all that much for a few reasons. First, it would cost an arm and a leg to acquire him -- I'm talking multiple draft picks and a veteran going back the other way. Second, they would've had to pay Aiyuk north of $28 million per year. The Steelers have that cap space to offer now, but have you checked their QB depth chart? Eventually, they'll have to pay up to upgrade the most important position in the NFL.

If we're assuming Aiyuk is off the table, Pittsburgh doesn't have many options. CeeDee Lamb isn't going anywhere. Courtland Sutton is stuck in Denver. The best alternative could be to upgrade at WR2, and let George Pickens play out a full season as the primary target with a capable veteran QB for a change. Russell Wilson isn't great, but he'll show us how good Pickens can be.

Where can the Steelers turn for a capable WR2? Why not Houston

Van Jefferson is the Steelers second wideout right now. If that made you throw up a little, you should see my keyboard. Roman Wilson is an intriguing rookie, but far from a WR2 right now. Calvin Austin III may one day live up to his potential, but likely not right away. Enter the Houston Texans and John Metchie III.

Metchie III was drafted in 2022, but missed the entire season with leukemia. He recovered in time to play last season, but struggled to stand out in a crowded receiver room in Houston. The Steelers have the opposite problem, so these two teams match up quite well. Here's what a deal might look like.

Pittsburgh and Houston could complicate the deal and swap plausible roster cuts before the 53-man deadline on Tuesday. But my guess is that the Texans want draft capital. They already have a lot of wide receiver depth, and as talented as Metchie III may one day be, he won't realize that potential with the Texans.

In Pittsburgh, he'll get an opportunity to take important reps right away in the Steelers offense. Russ won't have to rely on players like Jefferson and Wilson alone to make key grabs in traffic. Don't get me wrong, Metchie III is not a world-beater, but if you watched him at Alabama you know there's some clear talent there. He can get separation against NFL corners, which is something the Steelers are currently lacking.