Steelers Could Face Nightmare Scenario With Aaron Donald

The Pittsburgh Steelers could find themselves with a worst-case scenario situation when it comes to Aaron Donald.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers avoided DeAndre Hopkins joining the AFC North after both the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens were teams in consideration for the All-Pro wide receiver. Now, another name is being rumored to enter the trading block, and the Steelers are once again facing a nightmare-ish situation. 

Having to shut down Hopkins is one thing. The Steelers added future Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson in the offseason, drafted second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. and have Levi Wallace returning for his second season in Pittsburgh. Finding a way to shut down a wide receiver is doable. 

And it's not that shutting down this next player is impossible, but it's not an ideal situation for anyone in the NFL. 

FOX Sports' Jacon McIntyre had an Aaron Donald trade on his five bold predictions for the upcoming season, as he believes the Los Angeles Rams could ditch Donald as they prepare for a complete downfall by the Week 8 deadline. 

While the Steelers could certainly be a team on the hunt for Donald during the season, another AFC North team makes a lot of sense - and could have the pieces in place for a blockbuster trade. 

Browns Digest's Pete Smith broke down the Browns' outlook on a Donald trade, claiming the team has all the assets they may need to make the move happen. 

"There may be several teams that could add Donald, but the Browns are certainly one of them. They have cap space and flexibility to add more, something they are likely to do anyway with the contract of Myles Garrett. They have picks and potentially even young players if they were so inclined," Smith writes. "Not having a first round pick in 2024 is a potential stumbling block, but they could do what the Rams did themselves, offering picks they will have in the future. Meanwhile, they also have second and third round picks they can package over a few years if necessary."

The Steelers would watch the Browns add Donald to a defensive front that already features Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson. And Smith believes the Browns could still add a name like Shelby Harris or Matthew Ioannidis before the move. 

Even with the Steelers' rebuilt offensive line, it's tough to say that group isn't going to win at least some battles against any team in the NFL. 

Donald heading to Cleveland feels like the worst-case scenario for what could be a storybook ending to the Pitt star's career. The hometown superstar turned Pitt defensive football into a building block and then went on to have one of the greatest NFL careers in history. 

The only way it gets better is if he comes home for his final year or two and wins another ring with the Steelers. But instead, he could find himself hunting a Lombardi with their biggest rival. 

The Cincinnati Bengals might be the absolute biggest blow for the Steelers when it comes to a Donald trade. But there has always been something about the Cleveland Browns that leaves a bad taste in the mouth of Pittsburgh fans, and adding the hometown hero wouldn't be too pleasant for the black and gold. 

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