Schefter: Steelers Likely Not "A Landing Spot" For Brandon Aiyuk As Wild Trade Saga Continues To Unfold

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the running for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk since he expressed frustrations with the way that negotiations were going with the team that drafted him. Aiyuk has reportedly said that he wants a new contract, somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million, but the 49ers are apparently not willing to pay that. 

The Steelers front office is known to be as tight-lipped as their head coach, so it wasn't surprising when General Manager Omar Khan indicated that Pittsburgh isn't looking to snatch any big-name receivers. However, that didn't stop the rumor mill, and this week, the news ramped up that a deal is close to being done. The Steelers, along with the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots, were reportedly all in contention for Aiyuk. 

Recently, Adam Schefter appeared on an episode of The Pat McAfee Show and was asked about Aiyuk and a possible trade. Schefter said that he doesn't believe anyone in the Niners organization is leaking anything. In his opinion, General Manager John Lynch wants to keep all dealings with Aiyuk private. 

He added that it is a highly complex deal, especially because Aiyuk wants such a large contract, and the 49ers have a right to compensation. He said there are teams who can afford to pay Aiyuk, but not the 49ers, and teams who can compensate the 49ers, but not pay Aiyuk. He doesn't see Pittsburgh being a part of that conversation. 

"I don't expect Pittsburgh to be a landing spot at all. I don't think Pittsburgh, like a lot of teams, checks into this: here's the price it would take from the 49ers, here's the price it would take from Brandon Aiyuk, and every team has to make a decision about whether or not that would work for them. And inevitably, with most teams, it's not going to work. That's why it's a hard trade to do. And if you're Brandon Aiyuk, there are going to be limited opportunities. So ultimately, you have to make the decision, am I better off taking the offer from a team that wouldn't be my first choice to go to, or am I better off returning to San Francisco and see if the two sides can figure out a long-term deal that they have been unable to do."

Khan has shown to be a very savvy general manager and nothing he has done since taking over the helm has shown that he is willing to make deals that don't work in the Steelers' best interest. While Aiyuk was a very dynamic receiver, there have been questions about his value and if he should be commanding this much money.

It now appears that the Steelers and Khan were waiting, hoping the price on Aiyuk dropped, as many felt it would. Lynch is showing in San Francisco that he is also willing to wait. He implied all along that the 49ers wouldn't budge off their offer. The ball appears to be in Aiyuk's court now. 

Did The Steelers Restructure Alex Highsmith For No Reason?

Earlier in the offseason, Khan said that the Steelers restructured edge rusher Alex Highsmith's contract to accommodate the possibility of signing another player. He wanted to ensure that they would have the money available if the right deal popped up. 

Highsmith is entering his fifth season in the black and gold, and he signed a four-year extension with the team. He was set to make a base salary of $10.733 million, and the team converted some of that into a signing bonus, leaving them an additional $7 million in cap space. Khan shared that when opportunities present themself, they normally happen very quickly, unlike the saga that has been Aiyuk, and general managers want to be ready. 

Where do you think Aiyuk will land? Click to comment below.

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