Getty Brandon Aiyuk could still land with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk come closer to a deal, the Pittsburgh Steelers could need to swing bigger for a trade.
The Steelers just need to look to their longtime rivals, the Cleveland Browns, as an example to pursue Aiyuk. Cleveland’s previous trade offer included wideout Amari Cooper plus a second-round draft pick and a fifth-rounder according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Pittsburgh could send 1,000-yard wide receiver George Pickens and future third-round and sixth-round picks to the 49ers in exchange for Aiyuk. Pickens, 23, is much younger than Cooper, 30, and therefore could negotiate for trading lower picks to give up such a young talent.
The 49ers could replace Aiyuk with Pickens right away and add more talent down the road. A former second-round pick from Georgia, Pickens caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns last season, and he didn’t have a quarterback of Brock Purdy‘s caliber throwing him the ball in 2023.
San Francisco would also have two years of Pickens on his rookie deal before he could ask for a bigger contract in year five. Aiyuk, meanwhile, could get the larger contract he’s seeking in Pittsburgh.
That said, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on August 13 that the 49ers and Aiyuk are closer to reaching an agreement on a deal. It came out amid NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that the 49ers and Steelers had worked out a potential trade.
“What I’ve been told is that Brandon Aiyuk would prefer to stay with the 49ers, and has always preferred to stay with the 49ers, all things being equal,” Garafolo said. “Now, they haven’t been equal, but they did make that offer. In fact, both sides sent proposals within the last, I don’t know, couple days, week or so, and the 49ers’ number has gotten better than what it was previously.”
Brandon Aiyuk the Latest of Wideouts Seeking Big Contracts
GettyBrandon Aiyuk was a key player in the 49ers’ Super Bowl run last season.
Aiyuk has a $14.12 million fifth-year extension on his rookie deal, but that’s well below his potential market value. Spotrac projects the former Arizona State star could earn $27.5 million as one of the top-10 highest paid receivers in the league.
Numerous wide receivers got paid big this year, led by Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson‘s four-year, $140 million deal. Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown cashed in with a four-year, $120 million contract, and Miami Dolphins superstar Tyreek Hill netted a three-year, $90 million extension.
“If they don’t see the worth in that, that’s all it is. It ain’t nothing else besides that. I can’t get into it. We got professionals working on both sides, so hopefully, we can come to a professional agreement to continue playing professional football,” Aiyuk said during “The Night Cap” podcast in March.
Brandon Aiyuk Could Be Ready Quickly After Offseason-Long Campaign
Aiyuk has been vocal throughout the offseason with social media posts and interviews. He eventually requested a trade in July, and the All-Pro held out of training camp.
Despite the non-participation, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes Aiyuk will be ready if he stays with the defending NFC champions.
“I trust Brandon knows what he’s got to do for this year to get ready to play,” Shanahan told reporters on August 12. “I have a feeling he’s finding a way to stay in shape and do those things. But there’s a football shape element that I know he is eager to get back to and us too. So hopefully we can get to that soon. But Brandon knows what he’s got to do to be in shape for the season and I feel confident he is doing that.”
