Insider expects the Steelers to break character when it comes to WR George Pickens' future

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in limbo right now.

Waiting on Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers to make a final decision on his future, the team is on standby.

But should Pittsburgh pull off the blockbuster trade, some have hypothesized that it could mean the end of George Pickens in Pittsburgh, or at least after his rookie deal expires in 2025.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette thinks the exact opposite will happen:

Pickens in Pittsburgh for the Long Haul?

If the 49ers agree to a trade, the Steelers will finalize a new multi-year contract for Aiyuk. But, no matter the amount, it will not affect what the Steelers do when Pickens becomes a free agent after the 2025 season, according to team sources. The Steelers consider Pickens their No. 1 receiver and intend to pay him accordingly.

Paying two top receivers has not always been the norm for the Steelers, going back to when they let Plaxico Burress go once they paid Hines Ward. When they didn’t re-sign Mike Wallace, they gave the money to Antonio Brown. Once they did that, they didn’t re-sign Emmanuel Sanders when his contract was up after the 2013 season.

That is not their plan with Pickens. - Gerry Dulac, PPG

For the longest time, Pittsburgh always believed that paying two WRs hampered their team and wasn't needed given their knack for drafting and developing stars on the perimeter.

But the whole reason they are in the Aiyuk sweepstakes, to begin with, is because they need another proven commodity in the WR room. The team has always had two significant contributors at WR, even if they weren't paying both on extensions.

But the idea of Pickens and Aiyuk is different. Aiyuk is just starting his prime at 26, and Pickens is only 23. Their games play off each other perfectly and they would form a duo that instantly becomes one of the best, if not the best in the league.

And here's the kicker, the team can pay both because of their cap situation when analyzing the future.

Sure Watt and Fitzpatrick may want new deals in the coming years, but Pittsburgh is not going to be spending big money at the position that kills Cap the most: QB.

The team will either extend Russell Wilson/Justin Fields to mid-level deals after the season, or they will try their hand at another rookie in the draft in 2025. Pick an option, all three are cost-efficient.

So look, Aiyuk or not , Pittsburgh is in a spot to add talent across from George Pickens, and I expect them to do that in some form or fashion.

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