PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers almost made NFL history as one of three teams that reportedly made a trade, sending Brandon Aiyuk to Pittsburgh and Denver Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton to San Francisco. Instead, Aiyuk remains with the 49ers, but it was a very close “what if” that will be remembered for years to come.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the 49ers offered the Denver Broncos a third-round pick in exchange for Sutton. If they accepted, San Francisco would have agreed to a deal with the Steelers that would send Aiyuk to Pittsburgh.

“The 49ers were only willing to trade Brandon Aiyuk if they could get a top-flight WR to replace him. They offered Denver a third-round pick for Courtland Sutton, and would have then traded Aiyuk to the Steelers, but the Broncos rejected the offer,” Russini wrote on X.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer then clarified that the Steelers would likely have sent a second- and third-round pick to the 49ers, with San Francisco then sending the third to Denver. The eventual trade would have brought Aiyuk to Pittsburgh, a second-round pick and Sutton to San Francisco, and a third-round pick to Denver.

Instead, the Steelers keep who they have and the picks they entered the summer with, and the 49ers sign Aiyuk to a massive four-year, $120 million contract, including $76 million in guaranteed money.

Pittsburgh’s search for a wide receiver likely isn’t over yet, and could even include Sutton. Having put all of their eggs in one basket, the Steelers could continue to expand before the season and try to find an alternative option for Aiyuk. So far, John Metchie of the Houston Texans has come up, and it’s likely they’ve considered names in free agency as well.

If they don’t sign anyone, they’ll start the season with George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin and Scotty Miller, hoping rookie Roman Wilson can return from a sprained ankle.

Be sure to bookmark Steelers OnSI for breaking news, exclusive interviews, movie reviews and more.