Former Bengals All-Pro raises major red flag on 49ers’ approach to Brandon Aiyuk trade

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has expressed his desire to be traded from the San Francisco 49ers. In the last few weeks, the momentum of a trade appears to have picked up. However, that notion doesn't sit well with one former NFL player.

Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson shared his thoughts early Tuesday morning about the sudden efforts by the 49ers to trade Aiyuk. Johnson said in a post on X that San Francisco waited too long to work out a trade.

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"49ers waiting this long to listen to trade offers for my young boul knowing they didn’t want to pay him"-Chad Johnson via X.

The former wide receiver believes that the 49ers knew they won't offer a contract extension and could have traded Aiyuk earlier in the offseason. The 26-year-old is headed into the fifth-year option of his current contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

Are the Pittsburgh Steelers a contender to sign Brandon Aiyuk?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a team rumored to be interested in trading for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Although George Pickens is expected to be the top wide receiver in the offense, adding an offensive weapon and playmaker like Aiyuk could elevate the Steelers' play.

Radio host Andrew Fillipponi reported on Monday that the Steelers are getting closer to a trade for Aiyuk. He even went as far as to say that the Steelers could be close to getting a deal done soon.

The Steelers had issues on the offense in 2023 with dropped passes and inconsistencies with former quarterback Kenny Pickett. Last season, he had 75 catches for 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

A trade for Brandon Aiyuk won't be easy though as the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have to give at the very least a first-round draft pick, possibly even more. The Tennessee Titans were able to pull off a similar trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown which cost the Philadelphia Eagles a first and a third-round draft pick.

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