The trade talks for Brandon Aiyuk continue. Negotiations have been going on for over a week. the Patriots and Browns were initially the main two teams in the mix to get the 49ers wide receiver. After the Patriots bowed out and the receiver rejected a trade to the Browns, the participants of the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes have changed. The Steelers are currently the primary team that Aiyuk would get traded to. But don’t count out him returning to the 49ers on a new contract.
Aiyuk has been the number two wide receiver on one of the best offenses in the NFL. The fifth-year player recorded 75 receptions for 1,342 yards, seven touchdowns, and an average of 17.9 yards per catch last season. He also eclipsed over 1,000 yards in 2022 and one more touchdown. Keeping him could give the 49ers a good chance to return to the Super Bowl this season. Without him, the offense won’t be quite as high-powered.
The Failed Browns Trade
With this complicated and very drawn-out process of trying to trade the 49ers’ second-best wide receiver, the team might just decide to sign him to a new deal and end this ordeal. Aiyuk has not made it easy on the 49ers or other teams in this trade process. He wants to be traded but only to select teams. He rejected the idea of going to New England.
A trade was in the works between Cleveland and San Francisco that would give the 49ers Amari Cooper, a second-round pick, and a fifth-round pick, but Aiyuk also put a stop to that. This Aiyuk situation is a great example of the saying”beggars can’t be choosers” but that’s exactly the tactic the player is employing. Although Aiyuk does not have a no-trade clause, he holds the power to reject trades because he could then refuse to sign a contract with the team he is traded to.
The 49ers Are Back In
With all this transpiring, the 49ers front office has re-opened talks with their wide receiver. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and other high-ranking members of the team spoke with Brandon Aiyuk and had “some open and candid thoughts.” Shanahan declined to speak in-depth about the situation but said to reporters,
“I feel the same [way I did when] I talked to you guys last week. I mean, I am hopeful, and I do think it can [get done], but like I said last week, everything’s open. But hopefully, it does.”
The 49ers are optimistic that a new deal with Aiyuk can be reached eventually. But if the right trade with Pittsburgh comes along and the Niners feel like they’re getting good pieces in return like another receiver and draft picks, that is a good possibility too. The two options are narrowing down for the 49ers player this season. He will likely either stay in San Francisco on a new contract or get traded to the Steelers.
How Aiyuk Could Affect George Pickens
If Brandon Aiyuk gets traded to the black and gold, it would make their offense a lot more vibrant. Adding Aiyuk to the mix in Pittsburgh could take away targets from exciting, young star receiver George Pickens. However, the Steelers traded receiver Diontae Johnson to the Panthers so the receiving core isn’t as crowded. Pickens had a great last season, catching 63 passes for 1,140 yards, five touchdowns, and an average of 18.1 yards per catch. Pittsburgh also added former Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson this offseason. Jefferson is a solid player but is in no way a top option.
Overall, adding the 49ers’ receiver to the mix in this receiving core won’t take a huge amount of targets away from Pickens. He might catch fewer touchdowns but that will be the biggest difference. It will be more noticeable in fantasy football, where he could likely score fewer points. If anything, having Aiyuk and Pickens on the same team might help to stretch the field so no player is covered too heavily. Acquiring Brandon Aiyuk would add to an already busy offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they added not one but two quarterbacks, signing Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields.
If the Steelers can create an enticing trade to get Aiyuk, they might be in the playoff conversation this season.
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