The Brandon Aiyuk saga has drawn on throughout the 2024 NFL offseason, and at this point, it seems like he will either sign a long-term extension with the San Francisco 49ers, or get traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. When it comes to a potential trade, it seems like the 49ers could be the only thing standing in the way of Aiyuk finding a new home.
The Steelers seem to be the last team standing in their quest to land Aiyuk, and the Niners seemed resigned to trading him. However, reports emerged suggesting that the two sides had made progress on a potential extension, which Aiyuk quickly refuted on social media. As of right now, it is believed that Aiyuk and the Steelers are “in a good place” when it comes to contract negotiations, but the Niners are waiting to see if Aiyuk will accept their new contract offer before trading him.
49ers trying to figure out what to do with Brandon Aiyuk
The Aiyuk saga simply seems to be a never-ending cycle. It was initially reported that the Niners had accepted trade packages from the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Steelers, with the only thing preventing any deal from being completed being Aiyuk. It appears as if the Steelers are the spot he wants to play for, and while this doesn't go as far to say that a contract has been agreed to, it seems like they are at least pretty close to being on the same page there.
That should conceivably allow for this deal to be completed, but the Niners aren't making any rash decisions. They have a decent contract offer on the table for Aiyuk from the sounds of it, and while he hasn't accepted it yet, he also hasn't turned it down. If he were to sign the extension, he obviously wouldn't get moved, so San Francisco isn't going to make a final decision until they get a definitive answer from the star wide receiver.
While it may seem like the Stelers have the inside track, they have to find a way to get Aiyuk to accept a massive contract offer, and a way to get the 49ers to accept their trade offer. San Fran only has to get Aiyuk to agree to a new contract extension, so until he comes out and says he's not accepting their new offer, Pittsburgh is going to be on the outside looking in.
It's an incredibly complex situation, and while it appears a bit closer to being resolved, there's still a long way to go. The ball is still in Aiyuk's court to decide what he wants to do, but both the 49ers and Steelers are upping the ante in an effort to force his hand. Pittsburgh appears to be making some headway, but they still have some work to do if they intend on completing this deal.
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