Brandon Aiyuk, one of the biggest perceived trade chips on the market this summer, is staying put after agreeing to a contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers. Aiyuk had multiple trade suitors, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, looking for wide receiver help, but the 49ers waited it out and were able to keep their star pass catcher in town.

The Steelers were the primary team in trade talks with San Francisco for the former Arizona State star, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. However, the two sides got hung up on the inclusion of a current Steelers player, such as George Pickens or Pat Friermuth.

“The Steelers came closest to acquiring Aiyuk,” Breer reported. “They refused to give up a current player, but were willing to part with second- and third-round picks. The interesting thing is the money wasn’t as good with the Steelers, who didn’t want to go past what T.J. Watt makes ($28 million APY) and as such offered Aiyuk $27.7 million APY. The Niners made calls to about a dozen teams to see if they could flip the third-rounder somewhere else to land a veteran receiver to replace Aiyuk in the lineup.”

Brandon Aiyuk extension gives 49ers plenty of firepower

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The 49ers had arguably the best offense in the NFL last season, and the Brandon Aiyuk extension ensures that, health permitting, that will be the case once again in 2024. Brock Purdy showed that he can be a near-perfect quarterback in Kyle Shanahan's system last season, surprising everyone with his accuracy, anticipation and creativity, and all of his weapons are now back in 2024.

Aiyuk gives the 49ers a true No. 1 wideout on the outside, allowing them to use Deebo Samuel as a hybrid all over the field. Samuel can line up basically anywhere in the formation and be a threat to create an explosive play, which makes the 49ers so difficult to guard. George Kittle is still a monster after the catch while serving as a pseudo-offensive lineman in the run game, and Christian McCaffrey has a strong claim as the best running back in the NFL.

Shanahan is a genius calling plays, and always seems to find the right blend in the game to get all of his weapons involved at the right times. San Francisco's defense has more questions than they did last year, but the Aiyuk extension ensures that the offense will be able to keep them in any game.