The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to sign former New England Patriots wide receiver T.J. Luther, as first reported by Alan Saunders of Steelers Now and confirmed by PennLive. In a corresponding move, the Steelers have waived/injured wide receiver Tarik Black, who sustained a hamstring injury on Sunday.
Luther had a tryout with the Steelers two weeks ago, and with Black now injured, he will have the chance to prove himself during training camp.
Luther, known for his focus on kickoffs, went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft and has since been with the Patriots and the New York Jets, who initially signed him as an undrafted free agent. After several months of trying out for other teams, Luther is now getting his chance with the Steelers due to Black’s injury.
In college, Luther was a First-team All-Big South selection in 2022, accumulating over 1,000 yards at Gardner-Webb. Both teams are now waiting for Aiyuk to make a decision.
The 49ers have a contract offer on the table for Aiyuk, hoping he will agree to a long-term deal with them, which would end trade discussions with the Steelers.
The Steelers have been awaiting Aiyuk’s decision over the weekend, while the 49ers are still pushing to finalize an extension. If Aiyuk moves to Pittsburgh, the Steelers are prepared to make him one of the highest-paid receivers, with an expected salary of nearly $30 million per year. In exchange, the Steelers will likely need to offer multiple draft picks, though the exact details of the trade compensation are not yet clear. The latest move by Pittsburgh is a strong offer aimed at securing Aiyuk.
Should the trade go through, Aiyuk would join George Pickens, Van Jefferson, and Calvin Austin in the Steelers’ receiving corps.
