It's been an interesting offseason for Brandon Aiyuk as trade rumors continue to swirl while the star wide receiver seeks a long-term contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He's made a ruckus on social media lately and now Aiyuk clears the air about what he's posting.
During Brandon Aiyuk's guest appearance on The Pivot Podcast, he admitted that he uses social media as a way to leverage what he wants, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. Essentially, that means the star wide receiver is using social media as a strategic tool right now, which may explain some of the posts we've seen in recent weeks.
“Social media is a way for me to leverage myself and what I'm trying to get… I'm just trying to get the facts out there.”
Additionally, Brandon Aiyuk also claims that “he's enjoying the process” of negotiating a contract with the 49ers. So, although this has been a drama-filled offseason, Aiyuk seems to be maintaining a positive attitude about the whole situation. Even if there are rumors of him being potentially traded to a different team.
“Brandon Aiyuk says ‘he's enjoying the process' of this contract negotiation on The Pivot podcast. Mentions that he's been a constant fixture in the media recently as part of that answer.”
We see professional athletes do this all of the time. Whether they're deleting posts, removing the team from their bio, to even posting cryptic messages, players use social media as a way to create drama and potentially get more money on their deal with their team. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But Brandon Aiyuk is taking a page out of a very familiar book.
Best fit for Brandon Aiyuk if he doesn't re-sign with 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk would likely be welcomed by most teams in the league. He's a great wide receiver who can serve as a decent No. 1 option but probably fits best as a high-end No. 2 option. Regardless, if the 49ers end up trading Aiyuk, they'll certainly have a market.
With that said there is one team that truly stands out as a perfect fit for the star wide receiver and that is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They currently have George Pickens leading the way in the wide receiver room and the front office just selected Roman Wilson in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Having a guy like Brandon Aiyuk would suddenly give the Steelers an elite passing group. Although the quarterback situation isn't the best, Russell Wilson would have plenty to work with in the passing game. Back that up with what should be a consistent rushing attack along with the stellar defense and you have a true playoff contender in the AFC North.
Unfortunately, for the Steelers, the 49ers have all of the leverage in contract negotiations with Brandon Aiyuk. The franchise can technically place the franchise tag on Aiyuk this offseason as well as the next offseason. We'll see how it plays out but all things are pointing toward Aiyuk playing in San Francisco next season.
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