The Pittsburgh Steelers have not stopped talking to the San Francisco 49ers about trading for their disgruntled receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, John Lynch, the general manager of the 49ers, has repeatedly denied that his team has any interest in trading away their star receiver, even though Aiyuk said otherwise on a FaceTime call that went viral. The situation has been very confusing throughout the offseason, especially with what the 49ers are planning to do with their receiver as he looks to get a massive extension.
Kelley L Cox / USA Today
49ers General Manager John Lynch embraces wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the field at Levi's Stadium during a San Francisco home game.
The 49ers were pleased to see Aiyuk return to training camp, despite the fact that he requested to be traded away. With that, it seems like he is still willing to play for the 49ers for the 2024 season and get his bag afterwards. However, it is not that easy, and it has never been that easy for either side.
#49ers star WR Brandon Aiyuk is reporting to training camp, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo, despite his desires for a new contract.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 23, 2024
The team has not held extensive contract talks since May and because of that, Aiyuk has requested a trade. pic.twitter.com/OsoviQOmBr
Lynch has been vehemently denying the idea that Aiyuk would ever be traded throughout the offseason. However, with training camp starting up, he has a different approach to the situation.
Re: Aiyuk being traded, Lynch says, "No absolutes there."
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) July 23, 2024
After talking nonstop about how he will find a way to keep Aiyuk in San Francisco, Lynch now accepts the possibility that his top receiver could be wearing a different team's uniform in 2024. Instead of working with Aiyuk's agent and getting a deal done, he seems to be much more willing to work with other teams to try and get some sort of quality return for his soon-to-be free agent. There are many suitors for his services, so the 49ers should be able to find a way to trade him.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend.
Steelers Are Ready To Pounce On Opportunity
Omar Khan and the Steelers have been reportedly looking to trade for Aiyuk all throughout the offseason, and with Lynch's latest comments, Khan will most likely be blowing up his phone to get a deal done. There have been all kinds of rumors swirling around, from the 49ers having very little leverage in negotiations, to Alex Highsmith being an option to try and get Aiyuk. If the Steelers want him bad enough, they will find a way to get him.
There are many other teams that are willing to acquire Aiyuk, but the Steelers may have an advantage. For one, Aiyuk's offseason drama first started when he talked about how he is so similar in appearance to Mike Tomlin. There was also his appearance on The Pivot, where Ryan Clark talked about how he would be treated like a god in Pittsburgh as their new starting receiver.
Joe Sargent / Getty Images
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson allows a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of 2023 during a contest at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
There are still endless possibilities for how trade talks will go between the 49ers and the Steelers, if any, or the 49ers and any other team that would be interested in adding Aiyuk to their receiver room. The Steelers have been the favorite to land his services for a long time now, but there are still a lot of questions.
What are the Steelers willing to give up for Aiyuk? Are they willing to get in a bidding war? What kind of contract would they give to Aiyuk if they are able to trade for him? Khan has a lot of issues he has to get through to lock in Aiyuk, but the opportunity is still out there for him and the Steelers. The ball is in Khan's court now.
What do you think about Lynch's change of tone on his willingness to trade Aiyuk away? Let us know in the comments below.
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