Yet another strange twist has emerged in the Brandon Aiyuk trade saga amid rumors that the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to finalize a deal for the San Francisco 49ers superstar.
Last month, Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade from the 49ers after months of unproductive contract extension talks. The 26-year-old star is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported last week that the Steelers and 49ers had a deal in place if San Francisco signed off on it. Rapoport also said Pittsburgh was “in a good place” to extend Aiyuk.
During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show”, Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provided an update on the team’s trade negotiations with Brandon Aiyul.
According to Dulac, the Steelers are simply waiting to see how things play out with Aiyuk and the 49ers. Dulac also revealed that the Steelers’ trade offer for the All-Pro wideout is surprisingly minimal.
“The Steelers, I was told, were not going to offer any players in a trade….they’re not about to budge. They were going to offer draft picks, a number two (draft pick), and then something else. “
The Steelers traded their No. 2 wideout, Diontae Johnson, to the Carolina Panthers. They still have a rising star in George Pickens to lead the pass-catching group, but Pittsburgh’s WR room is full of unknowns after that.
“The 49ers wanna get this deal done with Brandon Aiyuk & they’ve made him multiple offers..
I still think the more likely scenario is that he stays in San Francisco” ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nqnSvczhkg
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 20, 2024
Last season, Brandon Aiyuk caught 75 passes for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He helped San Francisco to a Super Bowl 58 appearance, where they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
Brandon Aiyuk Would Make Steelers Super Bowl Contenders
The Steelers went to the postseason last year with three mediocre quarterbacks in Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. They upgraded at the position by bringing in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, so now imagine if GM Omar Khan managed to land an elite wide receiver like Aiyuk to bolster the offense.
Wilson and/or Fields would have Aiyuk, Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren as their top offensive weapons. That, folks, would go a long way in cementing them as legitimate title contenders.
