Steelers Rival Browns Left Embarrassed After New Leak Reveals 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Wanted Nothing To Do With Cleveland

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the running for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk all offseason. It's been a rollercoaster for Steelers fans, with conflicting reports and swirling rumors. On Monday, reports surfaced that the Steelers were close to finalizing a deal with the 49ers for Aiyuk. However, these reports were quickly disputed, followed by a leak revealing that both the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns had made appealing offers to the 49ers.

There was a problem though. Aiyuk had no interest in playing for Cleveland, which is why the trade didn't happen. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Browns had offered the 49ers a package including Amari Cooper, a second-round pick, and a fifth-round pick in exchange for Aiyuk. 

If Aiyuk had been open to playing in Cleveland, the deal would have gone through, and the Steelers' rivals would have added a dangerous weapon to their offense. Florio now believes Aiyuk's only two potential destinations are either staying with the 49ers or heading to Pittsburgh.

“Yep, receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s current potential destinations for 2024 are the 49ers or the Steelers,” wrote Florio. “The Browns are out, even though they wanted to be in. The problem was that Aiyuk didn’t want to be in Cleveland. Via Matt Maiocco, Aiyuk put the kibosh on a deal that would have sent Aiyuk to the Browns for receiver Amari Cooper, a second-round pick, and a fifth-round pick.”

Florio also made a significant claim, suggesting that the 49ers are likely the source behind this latest leak. He argues that neither Aiyuk nor the Browns would benefit from releasing this information, which points the finger directly at the 49ers.

“At the risk of sparking a Boston-style X party, this leak has the 49ers’ fingerprints all over it. There’s no reason for the Browns to make it known they were on the verge of moving Cooper. And there’s no reason for Aiyuk to tell the world he didn’t want to play for the Browns, if he still might play for another team in the AFC North.”

Florio is convinced that the 49ers leaked this information to paint Aiyuk as the villain. He questions whether this strategy will backfire or help their cause as they attempt to renegotiate with Aiyuk to keep him with the team.

“This feels like an effort to paint Aiyuk as unreasonable, as the one who prevented a resolution to the situation. If that’s the case, does that make it more likely or less likely that Aiyuk will do a deal to stay with the 49ers?”

While Steelers fans remain hopeful that Aiyuk will land in the Steel City, a new report on Friday revealed that the 49ers are restarting contract talks with him. 

They recently had a sit-down meeting, and there’s optimism that a deal can be reached. So far, the Steelers haven’t offered the 49ers enough to close the deal.

Steelers' Omar Khan Is Trying To Hold The Line

With the Browns' offer now public, it’s clearer why the 49ers are struggling to reach an agreement with Pittsburgh. General Manager Omar Khan is reluctant to give up too much for Aiyuk, remaining firm in his negotiations, leading to a standoff with 49ers GM John Lynch. The Browns were willing to their send star wide receiver in Cooper and two draft picks, while the Steelers are hesitant to part with a wide receiver, which has reportedly been a sticking point. The Steelers appear to not be wanting to include a player in their offer.

The outcome of the Aiyuk saga will be intriguing. If he does end up in Pittsburgh, it would be a massive move that could significantly boost the Steelers' chances of entering the Super Bowl conversation in 2024. Looking at the silver lining, it's always nice when the Steelers beat the Browns. 

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