The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into uncharted territory for the first time in a long while. After 19 years of Mike Tomlin holding down the fort, the organization has appointed Mike McCarthy as the franchise’s fourth head coach since the NFL-AFL merger.
That change is going to play out in myriad ways, but almost immediately, the question becomes the roster next season. With a ton of contracts expiring and players possibly on the move, one player that Tomlin showed noticeable interest in could become available once again. However, according to a Pittsburgh media veteran, they might be better off playing it safe.
Pittsburgh Steelers Don’t Have the Mike Tomlin Locker Room Magic
After making the playoffs in an injury-riddled AFC North were shell-shocked by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. With the season seeming like a final hurrah for Aaron Rodgers, a change to the team seemed inevitable.
However, even as the future of the four-time MVP remains in doubt, the organization parted ways with long-term head coach Tomlin. Now, their immediate next step remains in doubt.
Between blowing it up and rebuilding completely or trying to maintain a competitive edge, there are two viable options available for them. A lot of the answers could come from how the roster shapes out over the summer.
Rodgers remains the biggest question mark, but the rest of the team needs some tweaks as well. One name that has constantly been on the Steelers radar is disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
With a lot of ties connecting him to Pittsburgh under Tomlin, there could still be some interest, particularly given the meltdown of the relationship with his current organization.
However, with a four-year, $120 million contract attached to him, Aiyuk would be a very expensive target for the Steelers. And that is without factoring in his injury history and his current AWOL status.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, too, believed the risk was extremely high with the star wide receiver. “With Aiyuk there is now an injury history that wasn’t there the first time they tried to acquire him. Also, in that time, we got to see Aiyuk can be a handful for a coach.”
Going a step further, he added, “Seems to my Kyle Shanahan has had enough of Aiyuk. I’d proceed with caution. Honestly, this is a great draft for receivers. Draft and develop. That’s the way to go.”
Historically, Tomlin has been extremely adept at handling personalities in the locker room. Players like Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell have all had their most productive seasons under his tutelage.
But with his presence now gone, it becomes a legitimate question mark if the Steelers can handle someone like Aiyuk. Last season, he sat out the entire year due to clear disagreements with the 49ers organization.
Add in reduced productivity the last time we saw him on the gridiron (374 receiving yards with no touchdowns in seven games), and the upside in bringing him in becomes a question mark.
It remains to be seen if the Steelers do end up taking the plunge with him, but the worry won’t disappear miraculously.
