The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for a final push to make a trade with the San Francisco 49ers to acquire their star receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. The trade can happen at any time, and both sides are just waiting for the other to blink. The saga has gone throughout the offseason and has led to all parties involved getting restless about the situation. The 49ers are waiting for either Aiyuk to sign a deal, or for the Steelers to alter their price. Meanwhile, Omar Khan is waiting for the 49ers to drop their price while fans just want something to happen.
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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (#11) points in the direction of an official to confirm he is lined up properly before a snap during a professional football game.
Matt Barrows, an insider for the 49ers, made an appearance on 95.7 The Game to talk about how the whole ordeal has gone from San Francisco's point of view, including their thoughts on Aiyuk's offseason antics.
"They're not exactly sure what he wants to do. I don't know where the Steelers came from. It's a little odd that a guy who's under contract -- a free agent, you understand he's going to have a list of teams that he wants to go to -- but a guy who's under contract, it's strange that he would pick two other teams... I think that surprised the 49ers that he had these other teams maybe above the 49ers. There's a little bit of frustration, disbelief in what's happening."
Players will sometimes pick and choose where they want to be traded, but that is normally if they have a "no trade clause" in their contract, which they would waive for certain teams, like Deshaun Watson when he was trying to figure out his next destination. However, the clause is never associated with a rookie contract like Aiyuk's, which is why the 49ers are upset Aiyuk wants to pick his destination.
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Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk makes a catch during a San Francisco 49ers game against the Detroit Lions.
The New England Patriots were also part of the Aiyuk sweepstakes, as they attempted to get a deal done with both him and the 49ers. For a team with a rookie quarterback, rookie coach, and constant issues with the receiving core, this was a perfect deal for them. However, Aiyuk rejected the Patriots' offer, so they ended up pulling out of the deal. He refused to be a Patriot.
The Cleveland Browns were also all in on Aiyuk. They even agreed to terms on a trade with San Francisco that would bring the elite receiver to Cleveland. However, Aiyuk reportedly shut the trade down himself, as he didn't want to be a Brown. What could have been an end to the whole issue, only resulted in more drama and frustrations across multiple teams.
NBA Sports Bay Area
49ers star Brandon Aiyuk shakes hands with John Lynch after a game.
Steelers Are Laughing All The Way To The Bank
Aiyuk only wants to be a member of two other organizations: the Steelers and the Washington Commanders. However, the Commanders have not engaged in trade talks with the 49ers, meaning there's only one team available in the situation. Because of this, John Lynch has lost a lot of leverage, and Khan is just waiting for him to finally admit that and agree to a lesser package just to make their disgruntled receiver happy.
From Lynch's standpoint, it makes total sense as to why the whole situation can be upsetting. This may be Aiyuk's fifth year in the league, but he's still just on his rookie contract. It doesn't seem like he should have the power that he has been displaying. If he already had a big deal with a no trade clause, then it would make total sense. Instead, they will have to meet Aiyuk's demands, whether that's getting a mega-deal, or being shipped off to western Pennsylvania.
What do you think about Lynch and the 49ers being frustrated with Aiyuk's antics, as well as him rejecting offers from multiple teams? Let us know in the comments.
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