Like a kid on Christmas Eve, Steelers fans are restless as they await the news of their team's possible acquisition of 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. One thing apparently needs to happen, however, if a trade is going to come to fruition.
In addition to reportedly seeking two first-round picks, the 49ers want a wide receiver who can help replace Aiyuk, the team's leading wideout each of the last two seasons, according to The Athletic, though are open to players at other positions.
Furthermore, Pittsburgh is apparently unwilling to trade No. 1 wideout George Pickens, according to PennLive's Nick Farabaugh, who reports the 49ers' plan would be to use whatever compensation they'd get from the Steelers to acquire another receiver. There's a possibility a team would be willing to trade a productive veteran (say Seattle's Tyler Lockett, Denver's Courtland Sutton or Carolina's Diontae Johnson), but the odds are slim the 49ers would get a wideout of Aiyuk's caliber.
Speaking of Johnson, the Steelers could have included him in a trade to the 49ers involving Aiyuk had they not already traded him earlier this offseason. That being said, Pittsburgh seems happy with cornerback Donte Jackson, the player they received in that trade.
Pittsburgh not wanting to part with a wideout makes sense. The Steelers don't have a lot of proven depth at that position, and trading Pickens would create another hole Pittsburgh will have to fill. The Steelers apparently aren't interested in trading anyone who plays another position, either.
At this point, it appears that both sides are working the phones to see if a third team is willing to push this trade over the finish line. In the interim, Steelers fans will continue to refresh their news feeds with the hope of seeing the news that they've been waiting to see for the last several days.
