Steelers' Mike Tomlin 'Comfortable' with WRs After Brandon Aiyuk Trade Rumors

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin says he is "comfortable" with his roster's wide receiver depth even after the team was unable to complete a trade for San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk this summer.

"I'm comfortable with the performance of these guys," Tomlin said, per Dale Lolley of Steelers.com. "(I) had some questions, even dating back to spring, and to be quite honest with you, I probably went into the receiver room a couple weeks into camp and told them that. I just believe in being really transparent.

"But the consistency with which those guys performed in Latrobe and with team development has made me more comfortable, and specifically I'm talking about Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson. I just can't say enough about the consistency with which they've performed, their floor. They behave like veteran NFL players, and that's provided some comfort in the midst of the transition that comes with dealing with new people and getting acclimated in that way."

Jefferson was listed as a starting wide receiver on the Steelers' first official depth chart of the 2024 season alongside Calvin Austin III and George Pickens, while Miller is set to join Roman Wilson as a backup.

Aiyuk, who spent the summer holding in for a new contract, was the subject of trade rumors involving the Steelers until the 49ers announced his four-year extension on Aug. 30.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the Steelers "came closest to acquiring Aiyuk" during the hold-in, but that the team did not want to offer him a deal exceeding linebacker T.J. Watt's $28 million annual average value. Aiyuk chose to return to San Francisco and make an average of $30 million per year instead.

Aiyuk made 75 catches for 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns with the 49ers last season. Had the trade been completed, he would have been a lock as starter alongside Pickens, who led the Steelers with 1,140 receiving yards for five scores in 2023.

Instead the Steelers will turn to relatively untested options in Austin, a former fourth-rounder who made one start in his rookie 2023 season, and Jefferson, who received limited targets with the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons last year and has not been a full-season starter since his 2021 season with the Rams.

Miller, who is heading into his sixth NFL season, also saw limited usage with the Falcons last year. But both he and Jefferson will enter their first season in Pittsburgh with the advantage of already having worked with former Falcons offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

By hiring Smith, Tomlin was likely hoping to rejuvenate the careers of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Now that Aiyuk is staying in San Francisco, the Steelers will also be hoping their new OC can also lead Jefferson and Miller to take on bigger roles in Pittsburgh.