George Kittle explains why he's not stressing over Brandon Aiyuk's trade situation
We're just under four weeks away from the start of the 2024 NFL season and the San Francisco 49ers are still dealing with somewhat of a sticky situation when it comes to a Brandon Aiyuk trade.
Aiyuk requested a trade away from the franchise in the middle of July and the Niners made it known that they would work with their wide receiver while also keeping options open over retaining Aiyuk. But a trade has still not been finalized. The Niners reportedly received offers from the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns, but Aiyuk seemingly turned them down despite the Patriots offering to make him a very rich man with a $30 million-a-year deal.
Aiyuk's teammate George Kittle hopped on The TK Show podcast over the weekend and was asked about his view of the situation. Kittle said:
"I have no idea what I see stuff on, Instagram, occasionally. I don't really watch any type of sports center or talk sports show. But it doesn't really affect me at all. I'm just like, ‘Well, hopefully it pans out the way that the best possible way for both Brandon and the 49ers.’ Whatever happens, happens, because I have zero control over it."
Kittle added that he's not going to sit and worry about a potential Aiyuk trade going through.
"There's nothing I can do about it. So, if I just worry about it, it's just going to distract me from my job. What I try to do, and I say this to all the guys in my room, ‘Hey, just focus what you can control. And if you can't, figure that out,’" Kittle said.
Why Brandon Aiyuk's trade is still in limbo
At 26 years old, Brandon Aiyuk has just one year left on his rookie contract. His fifth-year option will pay him $14.124 million for 2024. Despite extensive talks with the Niners, it appears the two sides couldn't come to an agreement over the dollar value of the extension.
On the Pivot Podcast in July, Aiyuk said he was irritated at leaked reports over his contract demands.
“It’s a little bit frustrating for actual numbers to come out. I felt like it was a little bit disrespectful and a little bit unfair to me.
"It’s a dirty game,” Aiyuk said.
According to ESPN, the Niners are currently holding out for Pittsburgh’s 2nd and 3rd-round picks in 2025. The Steelers, meanwhile, are hesitant to part with those Day 2 picks to bring Aiyuk to town.