With the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk unable to see eye-to-eye on contract talks, the star wide receiver has request a trade. If/when the 49ers trade Aiyuk, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain the most likely franchise to acquire him.
The Steelers have the highest odds (+350) to be Aiyuk's next team if it isn't the 49ers, via betonline.ag. They're followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars (+600) and Indianapolis Colts (+650) while the Washington Commanders (+850) and Los Angeles Chargers (+900) round out the top five.
Aiyuk is set to be a free agent in 2025 and is searching for a long-term resolution. San Francisco hasn't met his terms, but they've also been reluctant to trade away Aiyuk. But with an official trade request now in play, perhaps the 49ers' hand has been forced.
After breaking 1,000+ receiving yards for the first time in 2023, Aiyuk followed it up with another stellar campaign in 2024. Starting 16 games, he caught 75 passes for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. Aiyuk also set a new career-high in yards per catch (17.9), showing his growth as a playmaker.
San Francisco used a first round pick on fellow wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, perhaps a red herring for Brandon Aiyuk's departure. With his trade demands now in the open, the Steelers must see what it'll take to acquire him from the 49ers.
How Brandon Aiyuk fits with Steelers
Pittsburgh traded away Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, leaving George Pickens to lead their wide receiver room. Pickens elevated to a different level in 2023 and would form one of the scariest duos in the league alongside Aiyuk.
While he would lose some targets, Aiyuk's arrival could help Pickens. The former will often draw opposing team's best cornerback. In turn, Pickens should have more opportunities to focus in space. If teams decide to focus on Pickens, then Aiyuk would get those opportunities. Overall, adding Aiyuk just makes Pittsburgh much more dynamic through the air.
Even with Johnson in town, Pickens led the way in 2023 with 1,140 receiving yards and five touchdown grabs. But outside of Johnson there wasn't much production behind him. Their next best receiver in terms of yardage (370) was running back Jaylen Warren. Allen Robinson had the third-most yards on the team in terms of wide receivers, but that was still only 280; and he plays for the New York Giants now.
Pittsburgh has attempted to build out their wide receiver corps through the offseason. The Steelers signed Van Jefferson in free agency and used a third round pick on Roman Wilson.
Jefferson spent the entirety of his career with the Los Angeles Rams before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. The change of scenery didn't bring much fanfare as he caught 12 passes for 101 yards. Wilson comes to Pittsburgh with a bit more hype, having caught 48 passes for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final year at Michigan. But it might take some time for Wilson to get acclimated to the NFL.
Brandon Aiyuk gives the Steelers a sure thing. They'll have to give him a contract extension, but that only ensures Pittsburgh has a top receiving option for years to come. The 49ers have been playing coy on any potential Aiyuk trade. But if the smoke becomes fire, expect Aiyuk to emerge wearing a Steelers jersey.
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