The Pittsburgh Steelers are said to be looking for a receiver trade to provide another weapon for their new quarterback, Russell Wilson, who was previously the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback.
In one Pittsburgh drive, the Steelers are reportedly interested in acquiring Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett rather than the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk.
“Lockett just restructured his deal with the Seahawks this offseason, which would make a pre-June 1 trade costly to Seattle,” Steelers Now explains. “If they traded Lockett now, that would incur a $27.8 million dead cap hit and cost the Seahawks an additional $8.9 million in cap space on top of what is slated to cost. But if they waited until after June 1, a Lockett trade would only have a $13.9 million dead cap hit this season, while saving Seattle’s cap in 2024 $5 million in room. To the Steelers, Lockett would be a bargain, with just $4.67 million in guaranteed salary and $340,000 in roster bonuses.”
It’s all OK. Lockett would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to Pittsburgh, providing Wilson, who was released by Denver this offseason after Seattle traded him to the Broncos two years ago, with a reliable and familiar weapon.
Right now, George Pickens is about all Pittsburgh has in that department.
But the Steelers site’s suggestion doesn’t do a very good job of explaining the other side of the deal: Why is Seattle interested in solving Pittsburgh’s problems?
We understand that Lockett was Wilson’s teammate for seven seasons in Seattle. However, he is coming off a 2023 season in which he caught 79 catches for 894 yards and five touchdowns as a crucial component of Seattle’s Geno Smith-led offense.
