The Brandon Aiyuk saga continues, as rumors have swirled the All-Pro wide receiver wants out of San Francisco. To this point, the team has either not been interested in trading him, or has not received what they feel is a fair offer. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Monday the Pittsburgh Steelers tried trading for Brandon Aiyuk but were told the 49ers have no interest in trading their star receiver.
Our NFL insider @ProFootballTalk on @937theFan on the Steelers-Brandon Aiyuk courtship: "My understanding is that the Steelers placed a phone call a few weeks ago. And were told by the 49ers we're not trading the guy."
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) April 17, 2024
Pittsburgh Steelers Reportedly Attempted to Trade for Brandon Aiyuk
Brandon Aiyuk is currently set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option. He would earn around $14 million. However, Aiyuk has made it clear that he is not interested in playing on his fifth-year option. He wants a contract extension, one that Spotrac projects would earn him around $25 million per season over four years. This price would make Aiyuk the fifth-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL on a per-season basis.
It is no surprise to learn the Steelers attempted to acquire Brandon Aiyuk. Their wide receiver room is very thin, and pairing Aiyuk with George Pickens would make for an explosive pass-catching duo. Pittsburgh has long been named as a potential landing spot for Aiyuk if he and the 49ers cannot agree.
While San Francisco reportedly told the Steelers they are not interested in trading Brandon Aiyuk, that could very easily change over the coming weeks. If the two sides can’t get any closer to a contract extension, the 49ers may feel the need to move on and at least recoup some draft picks. Keep an eye on a potential Aiyuk trade on draft night. The Steelers need to draft a receiver, but for the right price they may be able to trade some draft picks to acquire a much better receiver in Aiyuk. They would then need to pay him far more than they’d pay a rookie, but they would at least know they are getting an established star player.
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