Do the Pittsburgh Steelers have a trade option for San Francisco 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk?
There may be an end in sight for Brandon Aiyuk as his standoff with the San Francisco 49ers continues and it could be it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers who offer it.
Though the Steelers were previously mentioned as one of the teams who could give the 49ers’ pass catcher an out, it was generally thought they would be last in the pecking order. As things stand, that could all be about to change.
Are the Steelers close to a deal for Brandon Aiyuk?
According to reports on Tuesday, The Pittsburgh Steelers have a deal in place to secure the services of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. That is of course assuming that the 49ers agree to what the Steelers are offering in exchange for the 26-year-old. As per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have a trade in place with San Francisco to acquire Aiyuk. Rapoport also added that Pittsburgh is “in a good place” where an Aiyuk contract extension.
To be clear, the 49ers have offered Aiyuk a long-term deal to retain him, however, he has refused. Where context is concerned, it’s worth noting that aside from the Steelers, Aiyuk was previously linked with both the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns, however, in recent weeks the Steelers have emerged as the most likely destination. It goes without saying that there is a need for a top-tier wide receiver in Pittsburgh and Aiyuk would more than fit that description.
This after all is a player who was named second-team All-Pro last season on the back of a campaign that saw him notch 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. Truthfully, Aiyuk was one of the main reasons that the Niners made it to the Super Bowl, as he registered a career-high 17.9 yards per reception along the way. Indeed, his nine receptions for 149 yards and a TD in the postseason were key.
That said, the 49ers have so far stood firm on the idea that they won’t give him what he wants and that’s in a market that has seen wide receivers land mega deals in recent months. Where details are concerned, the former first-round pick is about to be in the final year of his rookie deal and is set to earn $14.1 million this year, meaning it’s understandable that he’d like a long-term commitment. As things stand, it looks like he may get what he’s looking for but just not in the city he thought.