Is Brandon Aiyuk to Steelers off? Latest on 49ers WR's stalled trade
As of Saturday, with Week 3 of the preseason set to kick off, Brandon Aiyuk is still an official member of the San Francisco 49ers. Since Aiyuk's trade request in July, a few suitors reached out to the Niners to potentially get a deal done. However, with Week 1 of the regular season just under two weeks away, no move has materialized just yet.
So, where do we stand on a potential Brandon Aiyuk trade? Here's everything we know heading into preseason Week 3.
Latest on the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors
A total of three suitors reportedly explored a move for Aiyuk since his trade request - the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Of the three, the Patriots even went as far as to throw a money bag at Aiyuk that was reportedly worth $30 million a year. However, Aiyuk reportedly rejected the deal, leaving Patriots fans fuming.
The Browns' offer also failed to move either party. Cleveland seemingly made Amari Cooper available to the Niners in a potential deal for Aiyuk, but that also went nowhere. Cooper's teammate Elijah Moore addressed the story, saying:
"[Amari Cooper] is somebody who doesn’t get too into that stuff anyway. You gotta take it day by day and that’s exactly what he did."
Which brings us to the Steelers.
The last we heard from Pittsburgh was that the Steelers and the Niners were effectively in a standoff, with the Steelers having tabled an offer for the wide receiver.
However, NBC's Matt Maiocco reported an update this week based on his observations in training camp.
"The optics suggest the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk are close," the NFL insider posted on X.
The Niners appear to be engaged in negotiations with Aiyuk to convince him to agree to a long-term extension to ensure they can compete for a Super Bowl this season.
If Aiyuk were to be traded, the Niners would enter Week 1 a little thin on receiving depth, leaving most of the playmaking to Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Injury issues mean we're also likely to see rookie Ricky Pearsall eased into action rather than thrown into the thick of things in Week 1.
Aiyuk is currently in the last year of his rookie deal that pays out $14.1 million this year. Per NBC, the Niners also had offers to trade Aiyuk before the 2024 draft but refused to sanction a deal.
Could Brandon Aiyuk land with the Washington Commanders?
A separate report from the San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver added that an Aiyuk trade to the Commanders is "back in play" after Washington dealt Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this week.
In an appearance on the "Pivot Podcast" earlier this year, Aiyuk hinted that he would be more than happy to link up with rookie Jayden Daniels in Washington. Aiyuk said:
"That's why I am like, when we go, when we talk about social media and, sh*t, there's a quarterback right there (gesturing towards Jayden Daniels). I'm thinking about what I can do with him. I'm thinking about if the Niners don't want me to come back and play with them, I'm thinking about what I could do."
Where will Brandon Aiyuk land this offseason? Have your say in the comments section below!