Steelers foolishly tipping their hand amidst Brandon Aiyuk trade situation

While the fan base tries to patiently wait for a potential Brandon Aiyuk trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers are apparently already thinking ahead.

Some have asked the question as to whether an Aiyuk trade would mean George Pickens takes a back seat and becomes the team's WR2, which would make sense based on Aiyuk's recent production versus Pickens'.

But, that's not necessarily how the team views the two wideouts.

According to Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, an Aiyuk trade wouldn't stop the Steelers from paying Pickens top wide receiver money:

"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."

There are many questions to be answered, here. But, the biggest and most obvious one is ... why are the Steelers allowing this type of information to leak? Why on earth would they be hinting at paying Pickens more money than they'd pay Aiyuk?

This seems like more wide receiver drama waiting to happen in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers need to take things one step at a time with Brandon Aiyuk and George Pickens

Let's get one thing straight. The Steelers should be worrying about the long-standing Aiyuk trade situation, first and foremost. That's been the big topic at hand and should remain the focus, for right now.

Once an Aiyuk deal has been made (or even if it falls through), then the Steelers could look ahead to paying Pickens.

But still, Pickens is only entering Year 3 and is coming off his first 1,000-yard campaign. He's just getting going. Has he proven much at all, yet? No, not really. The talent is there. The physical ability is there. But, Pickens is still developing intellectually.

His character and attitude have been a concern at times. Remember the blocking incident last year with Jaylen Warren?

That doesn't sound like someone who is looking to be a great teammate along with being a great player. That doesn't sound like someone who deserves top wide receiver money. The third-year pro has to show a whole lot more in terms of maturity and growth if he's planning on getting paid WR1 money.

But, that's up to the Steelers in the end. If the organization wants to pay Pickens like a top wide receiver, they can do so. Will it be in the best interest of the team? Maybe. Maybe, not. But, if Aiyuk is a Steeler, the team is setting themselves up for a potentially-dramatic situation down the line.

Imagine if Aiyuk agrees to a contract and it ends up being just under what the Steelers plan to pay Pickens.

You do the math. There are many ways this story could play out, but based on the details above in regards to a future Pickens contract, I don't see it ending happily. There aren't many scenarios where this story ends with sunshine and rainbows, especially considering we're talking about two alpha types at the receiver position.

We'll see where this goes, but the Steelers may be tipping their hand and divulging information that should have stayed in-house.