Brandon Aiyuk wants to get paid like one of the best receivers in the game, but the San Francisco 49ers won't bite. Meanwhile, several teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers want to break up the fracturing marriage.
Earlier today, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Steelers aren't likely to land Aiyuk.
“I don't expect Pittsburgh to be a landing spot at all,” Schefter said. “I think Pittsburgh, like a lot of teams, checked into this. Here's the price it would take from the 49ers, here's the price it would take from Brandon Aiyuk, and every team has to make a decision about whether or not that would work for them. Inevitably, with most teams, it's not gonna work, and that's why it's a hard trade to do.”
However, the Black and Gold are still in talks with the 49ers, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
“My understanding is that there are active trade discussions between the San Francisco 49ers and several teams here,” Rapoport reported. “The Pittsburgh Steelers have had discussions with the 49ers about potentially trading Brandon Aiyuk. They are for sure in it right now, they are one of several teams that the 49ers are speaking with.”
About an hour later, Schefter changed his initial tone with another report noting that the Steelers and 49ers have indeed picked back up trade negotiations around Aiyuk.
“Steelers and 49ers re-engaged in conversations mid-day today regarding Brandon Aiyuk, per league sources. As of Monday night, the 49ers-Steelers talks stalled. But there have been further conversations today in an ever-fluid situation that still involves other teams as well.”
Brandon Aiyuk can't force the 49ers to pay him what he wants, but he can with the Steelers
One aspect of the situation that adds an extra wrinkle is Aiyuk's “unofficial” no-trade clause. The 26-year-old can choose to not re-sign with any team that may want to trade for him, via Schefter.
“I think every team out there is wondering, the longer this goes on, do we jump in and make a call on Brandon Aiyuk? Would they listen to our offer? New England would certainly like to have a guy like Brandon Aiyuk. But again, it takes two sides to tango. You have to satisfy the 49ers if you are ever going to make a deal, and the player has to be willing to take the contract from your organization. Even though he doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, he has an unofficial no-trade clause, Brandon Aiyuk does right now. If he doesn’t want to go to that team, he can say: “I’m not taking that contract.”
The Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots have agreed to the framework of Aiyuk trades with San Francisco, but it appears he prefers Pittsburgh as a destination.
Aiyuk is coming off a career year in which he caught 75 balls for 1,342 yards and seven scores. The 2023 second-team All-Pro honoree would be a quality addition to any receiver room in the league, but especially in Pittsburgh, where he could line up opposite young standout George Pickens. However, the Steelers will have to offer Aiyuk a pretty penny in order to get him on board.
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