The 1 Big Move Steelers’ Omar Khan Didn’t Make That Saved Pittsburgh A Lot Of Headaches

The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted well with general manager Omar Khan running the show. The jury is certainly still out on the 2026 version; however, as many fans weren't thrilled with several of the selections that were made. The team wanted to break a long streak of avoiding wide receivers in the first round, but the story is very well known now that the Philadelphia Eagles prevented that from happening. Still, Germie Bernard could be the hidden gem that that organization needs to finally boast one of the better pass-catching groups throughout the AFC. Time will tell how it pans out for the franchise.

Pittsburgh has been attempting to revamp its receiving corps for several years. It has not gone well and the 2025 group may have been one of the worst assembled dating back to Mike Tomlin's first season all the way in 2007. The lack of a dominant unit has consistently led to Khan being involved in trade rumors any time a big-name wideout could be on the trade block.

Michael Pittman Jr. was not necessarily one of the individuals, but the Steelers went out and got him for basically nothing, which quickly led to a nice three-year contract extension. He isn't just a veteran that will contribute; he is also a well-respected locker room leader that could fill a big void that DK Metcalf maybe could not have been the best for.

These two, along with Bernard, should give the offense a nice trio of options. It took a while for the team to assemble such a collective, which has to bring fans back to thinking about the "what ifs" of the past. During the 2024 offseason, the front office was desperate to add to its receiving corps after trading away Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. That's when Pittsburgh became the favorite to land Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers.

Looking back, the deal seemed to be nearly done before the pass-catcher agreed to stay in the Bay Area, signing a long-term and lucrative deal. He soon would go on to tear his ACL, not take his rehab seriously enough, and pretty much end his time with the organization that drafted him. There's no way to tell if he would have suffered a serious knee injury with the Steelers, but his work ethic and drama creation speaks volumes about what Pittsburgh may have been getting into.

The 49ers are still trying to trade Aiyuk; however, it is hard to do because of his contract. The good news is that is guarantees were voided, but if he plays on the deal he signed with San Francisco, it's not a favorable one for whichever team hypothetically acquires him. It's safe to say that Khan and the Steelers dodged a bullet. Again, it's irresponsible to assume that he would have had a season-ending injury with anyone else, but his actions after the fact bring more into the equation.

Aiyuk seems to be a player that got paid, and cared a lot less about his performance and career. Now that his guarantees are voided because of his actions in 2025, a fresh start is what he needs. Unfortunately for him and the 49ers, another organization trading for him seems unlikely at this time. It could be more possible after June 1st, but the scenario that seems to be more reasonable would be him getting released and inking a one-year prove-it deal elsewhere.

Steelers Still Might Take A Chance On Brandon Aiyuk

Pittsburgh could be involved if the disgruntled wideout ends up getting released in the summertime. The Steelers would have to make the decision if they value Aiyuk as a fourth wide receiver over Roman Wilson. A new locker room could be what Aiyuk needs; however, he has definitely turned off a lot of teams because of his actions over the course of the last year and a half. For now, fans should be thankful Khan never ended up sealing the deal on acquiring the pass-catcher.

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