Steelers players trying not to be distracted by trade talk involving 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

Based on the way he has progressed in training camp, Van Jefferson has taken steps toward becoming the No. 2 wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jefferson’s spot on the depth chart, however, would drop in the event the Steelers acquire Brandon Aiyuk in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers have given Aiyuk, who isn’t happy with his salary, permission to negotiate a contract with other teams as long as trade parameters can be reached. Along with the Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders originally surfaced as possible landing spots for Aiyuk, who had 1,342 receiving yards on 75 catches last season.

“He’s a hell of a competitor,” said Jefferson, who signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in free agency. “We all know how explosive he is and what he can do. We’ve all seen it on film, but at the end of the day, I was still going to come out here and practice whether they did it or not.”

The day began with reports from the Bay Area that the Steelers were out of the trade talks, citing the 49ers’ high asking price for Aiyuk. Cleveland and New England, reportedly, had agreed to compensation with the 49ers but so far haven’t been able to meet Aiyuk’s contract demands.

“A lot was out yesterday and stuff, but from the situations that we’re in with Brandon, nothing has changed,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Tuesday at the team’s training camp in Santa Clara, Calif.

ESPN reported Tuesday afternoon that the Steelers had re-emerged as a candidate. The Steelers have lacked a certified No. 2 receiver since they traded Diontae Johnson to Carolina in March.

Aiyuk is set to earn $14.124 million this year, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. According to the NFLPA website, the Steelers have about $16.7 million in cap space remaining.

“You hear the rumors about everything going on,” Jefferson said. “Those are decisions we don’t make. All we can do is control what we can control and play our best ball when we’re out here.”

Aiyuk hasn’t practiced with the 49ers since training camp began. He is hoping to get an extension that puts his salary on par with some of the NFL’s top receivers. Shanahan told reporters that he doesn’t expect a quick resolution.

“You always want it to be. Badly,” he said. “But this stuff does take time. Every day I hope it gets resolved. But I have no timetable on it. It didn’t surprise me coming into this. … Hopefully it will get resolved sooner than later.”

Third-year receiver George Pickens led the Steelers last season with 1,140 receiving yards and led the NFL by averaging 18.1 yards per catch. Aside from Pickens, Jefferson has displayed the most consistency in training camp, but his career high in receiving yards occurred in 2021 when he totaled 802 yards.

Other receivers with more than token NFL experience on the roster include Scotty Miller, Quez Watkins and Calvin Austin III, who is in his third season. The Steelers also drafted wide receiver Roman Wilson in the third round.

Jefferson isn’t the only player on the Steelers roster facing question about a potential Aiyuk trade.

“Whatever happens happens,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said. “I think guys on the team right now, we’re hungry, we’re ready to go. If something happens – great, but I think we’re confident in what we have right now.”

Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni, who is in his first year in the organization, said the Aiyuk news hasn’t been a distraction to his players.

“I never talk about it,” Azzanni said. “We’re so laser focused that I’m not going to get bogged down with things I have no control over.”