As Week 1 of the NFL kicks off, the Pittsburgh Steelers go into their matchup with the new-look Atlanta Falcons without a shiny, new toy they had been hoping to acquire.
By now, Steelers fans know all about the Brandon Aiyuk saga that once was. Now that Aiyuk is no longer an option, Pittsburgh is going to work with the receiving core they've got ... for now.
Also with the season kicking off, we get to learn a bit more of what goes on behind the scenes during the offseason as someone like ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, among other insiders, peel back the curtain a bit
Fowler recently wrote on the Aiyuk situation, and in reference to Pittsburgh, brought up another significant option for the Steelers.
"Several teams have tried to trade for Denver's Courtland Sutton, but the Broncos have not been willing to trade him ... so far. Perhaps Pittsburgh will entertain a reunion between Sutton and Wilson," Fowler wrote.
With the Steelers still searching for a viable option at their WR2 spot, it'll be Van Jefferson who gets the first crack at it. Rookie Roman Wilson may emerge a little later on, but he's been dealing with an injury to start his career, so he'll begin the season behind the 8-ball.
Sutton would give this team an immediate boost, and he'd come cheaper.
The cost for Courtland Sutton should be less than a Brandon Aiyuk trade
A big positive, here, is if the Broncos were in fact going to entertain trade offers for Sutton, the Steelers would get him for less than they would have had to trade for Aiyuk. With Sutton set to turn 29 years old next month and Aiyuk still just 26, that three-year gap is big.
If Aiyuk had indeed gone for something along the lines of a second-round pick, plus maybe a later round combination, then my assumption is the Steelers could get Sutton for as little as a fourth-round pick.
That might sound crazy, but look at the facts. The Broncos are a team that's trying to rebuild around a rookie quarterback and probably won't contend anytime soon. Sutton will be 30 years old next year, and in the final year of his contract. If Denver were to cut him after the 2024 season, they save $7 million in cap space -- which means a lot more to the Broncos than it would any other team, all things considered (hello again, Russell Wilson).
The Steelers know they could get Sutton for at least a year and change, if they dealt for him before this year's deadline.
Reuniting him with Wilson, though, might mean that the Steelers stick it out with the former Broncos quarterback until they absolutely couldn't. Who knows ... maybe Sutton and Justin Fields form a bond, as well. That's neither here nor there, though. A trade has yet to happen, although it seems like a strong possibility.
Here's to hoping the Broncos take an early nose dive prior to the 2024 trade deadline.