Steelers Nearly Made Blockbuster George Pickens, 49ers Trade

Brandon Aiyuk was at the center of the Pittsburgh Steelers' universe while the team made a significant push to land him via trade from the San Francisco 49ers late last summer amidst a contract dispute.

As the two sides discussed potential packages, 49ers reporter David Lombardi has retroactively revealed that the organization was seeking George PIckens from Pittsburgh in order to finalize a deal for Aiyuk before the latter agreed to a four-year extension worth $120 million with San Francisco.

"49ers wanted Pickens in return for Brandon Aiyuk during those 2024 trade discussions with Pittsburgh," Lombardi wrote on X. "Unfortunately for SF, Steelers weren't willing to move Pickens until May 2025 when they made the deal with Dallas. By that point the ink on Aiyuk's deal had already dried."

49ers wanted Pickens in return for Brandon Aiyuk during those 2024 trade discussions with Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for SF, Steelers weren't willing to move Pickens until May 2025 when they made the deal with Dallas. By that point the ink on Aiyuk's deal had already dried https://t.co/b1rxEU7sK6
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 4, 2025

Aftermath of Failed Trade

Though the Steelers were reportedly within inches of landing Aiyuk while he "held in" around the time of training camp and the preseason in 2024, he opted to stick with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 27-year-old logged 374 yards in seven contests last season before suffering ACL, MCL and meniscus injury in Week 7, and he has yet to step back onto the field for the 49ers.

Oct 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) walks on the field before the start of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported in late November that San Francisco voided the guarantees in Aiyuk's contract for the 2026 campaign after he's failed to fulfill his duties while on the mend. He reportedly has no plans to fill a grievance on that end either, which makes his path towards reaching the open market this upcoming offseason pretty clear.

Pickens, on the other hand, was Pittsbugh's leading receiver in 2024 with 900 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. It didn't come without some controversy, though, as he got into a bit of a fight with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II at the end of their Week 12 matchup before reportedly showing up late to the team's Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, among other incidents.

It came to a point where it seemed like Pickens needed a change of scenery, and Pittsburgh opted to move on from the talented 24-year-old heading into the final season of his rookie contract by sending him to the Dallas Cowboys for a package headlined by a 2026 third-round pick back in May after acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks as his replacement.

Though Pickens had a bit of a rough showing vs. the Detroit Lions this week, he's established himself as one of the top receivers in the league this season with 1,179 yards and eight touchdowns on 78 catches for Dallas.

What if Steelers Had Traded Pickens for Aiyuk?

In a scenario while Pittsburgh brought in Aiyuk and handed him a huge extension while sending Pickens the other way, the latter easily could've landed his own payday in San Francisco that would've kept him there long-term.

The Steelers almost certainly wouldn't have went after Metcalf if Aiyuk was already in the building, and Pickens could've been the No. 1 option in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense for years to come for the 49ers while playing alongside Brocky Purdy and/or Mac Jones.

Pittsburgh is surely happy that didn't end up happening, as Metcalf is a superior option to Aiyuk and it recouped some higher-end draft capital for Pickens by rerouting him to Dallas, but the landscape of the league could've looked quite a bit different if he were in San Francisco instead.

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