As the days and weeks pass before training camp, it appears increasingly improbable that the Pittsburgh Steelers will trade for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
On Get Up this morning, ESPN analyst Dan Graziano discussed Aiyuk’s contract status and future with the 49ers.
“They prefer to keep him. However, I’m not confident they can reach a long-term agreement. “I believe the market has expanded beyond what the 49ers anticipated for wide receivers,” Graziano said. “And now, if you’re looking at low $30 million, that may not be where they’re comfortable, especially since Deebo [Samuel] is still making $22 million this year.” So, if they can’t reach an agreement, he’ll probably play it out.
The Niners then decide, late in the season or early in the offseason, whether to pay Deebo on a long-term basis. Do we pay Aiyuk long-term? And I wouldn’t be surprised if Aiyuk is the answer.
It would make sense if San Francisco didn’t want to pay its top two receivers more than $20 million apiece this season, with Aiyuk potentially reaching $30 million. The 49ers drafted two receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft, including first-round pick WR Ricky Pearsall, indicating that the organization is preparing for a future without Aiyuk or Samuel.
If Aiyuk is paid before this season, Samuel might be out by the end of 2024, however, as Graziano stated, if Aiyuk finishes his contract, the 49ers will decide which receiver to keep.
Basically, it doesn’t sound like Aiyuk is going anywhere. This weekend, he stated that he “for sure” wants to stay with the 49ers, who are skilled enough to return to the Super Bowl after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
A team eager to contend rarely trades one of football’s finest receivers, and it appears like Aiyuk will stay in San Francisco for at least one more season before cashing in with the Niners or elsewhere.
While having Aiyuk in Pittsburgh would significantly improve the Steelers’ offense, don’t expect a deal to happen.
Aside from the fact that Aiyuk appears to be staying put, the Steelers would be naturally cautious to make him the highest-paid player on the roster.
We’ll see what happens to Aiyuk in the coming weeks and months, but it doesn’t look like he’ll end up in Pittsburgh.