Steelers Get Door Slammed On Big Hopes For Landing A Dynamic 49ers Receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued a stellar 2024 offseason by adding a ton of talent in the NFL Draft. While the roster upgrades will certainly put the team in an excellent position to win football games in 2024, there is another move lingering that has the NFL wondering what Pittsburgh is up to. Mike Florio addressed the possibility of the Steelers adding another gamechanger to the roster, and while fans may have their hopes up, he doesn't see it becoming anything legitimate.

Former Steelers defender, Bryant McFadden posted on X that the Steelers were cooking up a big move for a playmaker. Word spread that the move could involve either San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. Florio, while on The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller Wednesday, threw some water on those rumors.

"I don't know. I don't know, if it was gonna be one of the 49ers - really, if it was gonna be anybody, you do it last week if you're the team that's moving the guy. Why would you be trading him now? Unless you're getting in return a player, you're not getting anything to help you now. So, you would think, common sense, the window closes - not opens - with the ending of the draft.... so, I have no idea, and I've been waiting and it hasn't happened yet."

After the Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh has been linked to plenty of receivers across the NFL. Justin Jefferson and Terry McLaurin have both been connected to the Steelers, though Florio didn't directly comment on the likelihood of either Jefferson or McLaurin wearing black and gold.

With a receivers room that boasts George Pickens as the top pass catcher, the hope is that Pickens will mature into a fully-fledged number-one NFL receiver. However, that is more on faith than anything, giving the Steelers even more need to find another player to balance out Pickens. While names like Aiyuk and Jefferson could spook the sometimes-unruly Pickens, the point is to ensure that the rebuilt quarterback room has the right weapons to compete with top NFL defenses.

Florio has a point regarding the window closing on the Steelers' opportunity to grab a top receiver to pair with Pickens. Prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, there were rumors aplenty regarding the Steelers and either a trade for a receiver or even to draft one of the upper-tier prospects at the position. Roman Wilson, out of Michigan, was the lone receiver pick for the Steelers in 2024, but if there is reason to panic, no one in the Steelers; facility is showing it.

Pickens has the support of the Steelers, but that doesn't mean they will be content to watch another Antonio Brown-like situation play out. If Pickens is to achieve the heights both he and the Steelers want for his career, it means doing more than just making impressive catches. 2024 is a big season for Pickens, and the Steelers are setting him up for all the success he wants; all he has to do is go get it.

Steelers Want Pickens To Step Up

During his first two seasons with the Steelers, Pickens has had plenty of reasons for why he hasn't reached the heights of other big names at receiver. Kenny Pickett and Matt Canada combined to form a painfully frustrating and unimaginative approach to the offense, which led to more struggles than anything. Despite this, Pickens has still managed to put up nearly 2,000 yards and nine touchdowns since being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Other than Pickens and Wilson, the Steelers have Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, and a pair of tight ends in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington to catch passes. If the Steelers end up not making the kind of move that McFadden put out into the world, there will be a lot of weight on Pickens' shoulders. With a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator, a stronger, bigger offensive line, and renewed hope, there is every reason to believe that Pickens will use 2024 as a springboard to a stellar career.