The Pittsburgh Steelers — and a handful of other NFL teams in the market for a veteran wide receiver — missed out on Brandon Aiyuk, when the playmaker agreed to terms on a long-term contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers last week.
While expectations for the Steelers have been raised entering this season after the arrivals of veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to provide a level of consistency and upside at the position, Pittsburgh could look to bolster their supporting cast in the near future.
Especially given the uncertainty at wide receiver, and the strong overtures the Steelers made for Aiyuk, general manager Omar Khan might not be anywhere close to done working the phones.
Pittsburgh Steelers Linked to Trading for Treylon Burks
Russell Wilson, expected to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in Week 1, has the benefit of a playmaking wide receiver in George Pickens, a two-headed backfield attack, and a reliable tight end in Pat Freiermuth.
However, Wilson and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith may need to manufacture firepower in the passing game given that receiver Van Jefferson has only surpassed 400 receiving yards in a season once in his career, and Calvin Austin only posted 180 receiving yards despite appearing in 17 games as a rookie.
Bleacher Report NFL analyst Kristopher Knox put together a list of 10 potential trade targets ahead of Week 1 of the season, with the Steelers eyeing Treylon Burks in a potential deal with the Tennessee Titans.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a proven No. 2 receiver behind George Pickens,” Knox writes for B/R. “And should probably be linked to just about any wideout who becomes available.
“According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Steelers were close to acquiring Aiyuk, but things fell apart when the Denver Broncos wouldn’t send Courtland Sutton to the 49ers.”
Burks could seamlessly walk into the role as the Steelers’ No. 2 wide receiver, and could benefit from a change of scenery where he’ll likely struggle to see meaningful reps with the Titans once DeAndre Hopkins returns to full health and thanks to Tee Higgins’ arrival.
Through two seasons since being chosen in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Burks has caught 49 passes for 665 yards and one touchdown. Burks’ versatility to line up in the slot or on the perimeter and with the frame to be a consistent red-zone weapon could make him the perfect fit for the Steelers’ offense.
