Although the Pittsburgh Steelers may have failed to make an impact at the NFL trade deadline when it pertains to upgrading their wide receiver room, one veteran wide receiver could make for an interesting acquisition following an update on his return to the NFL.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the NFL reinstated formerly disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk from the reserve/left squad list. The league also granted the 49ers a two-week roster exemption that expires on November 23, with Aiyuk's release appearing imminent. That's where the Steelers come into play.
Sources: #49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk passed his physical Monday and was officially reinstated. The next step is hoping for a release from San Francisco, and I’m
told at least one NFC team has internally discussed the possibility of adding Aiyuk to its practice squad if and when… pic.twitter.com/PsmPRzZ4Vr
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 10, 2026
The Steelers' current wide receiver room of DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson, and Germie Bernard hasn't exactly moved the needle for the Aaron Rodgers-led offense. At 6-2, the Steelers failed to make any impactful wide receiver acquisitions at the trade deadline, but signing Aiyuk following his potential release from San Francisco would easily make up for Pittsburgh's failure to add pass catchers on Tuesday.
Aiyuk, who was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, was one of the league's top route runners during his first four years in San Francisco. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending knee injury that marked the beginning of the end of his time in San Francisco, which included a messy rehab situation and allegedly failing to report to the team.
The Steelers could desperately use a wide receiver as talented as Aiyuk, and although he definitely would bring some additional baggage to Pittsburgh, the 6-2 Steelers can't really afford to be picky when it pertains to wide receiver talent at this point.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Could Brandon Aiyuk signing solve Steelers' wide receiver problem?
