Many would agree that the amount of time and effort that the Pittsburgh Steelers spent on the Brandon Aiyuk trade would create a disastrous scenario for the wide receiver room if the trade fell through.

However, 30 minutes before the Steelers’ game on Sunday, sports reporter Jay Glazer reported that Brandon Aiyuk was given an ultimatum by San Fransico head coach Kyle Shanahan.  This ultimatum was given to him on the day he signed his extension.  He was told that he would need to decide between being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, or signing the 49ers final contract offer, and this needed to be chosen before the end of practice that day.

While to some, this left a number-one-wide-receiver shaped hole on the roster, to George Pickens, it presented an opportunity to show his growth as a top receiver.

George Pickens had an impressive week 1 debut, going head-to-head with an elite shutdown corner, A.J. Terrell, and still hauling in 6 catches for 85 yards in the Steelers regular-season opener against Atlanta.  George Pickens not only filled the void left by Aiyuk but will look to continue to build off of this strong start as the proven wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: George Pickens stepped up in a big way in regards to the Aiyuk ultimatum