The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans have been patiently waiting on news regarding All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The wideout is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the San Francisco 49ers, and he has been in a contract dispute with the organization since early on in the 2024 offseason. Aiyuk then officially requested a trade, and several teams through their hats in the ring, including the Steelers and Omar Khan.
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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk attempts to make a move on Steelers safety Damontae Kazee during a 2023 regular season game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
There seems to be updates regarding the Aiyuk situation nearly everyday, but most of them seem to stay the same. He and the 49ers are still negotiating a new deal, which he has refused to sign while the Steelers have the framework of a trade agreed upon. Pittsburgh's hopes to land Aiyuk have reached extreme highs and lows, which shows exactly how fluid this situation really is. NFL insider Adam Schefter spoke with SteelerNation.com's Tyler Candelaria, and shared that no one knows the next move in this saga.
"Here's what I can tell about what the situation is, the 49ers don't know what's going to happen with Brandon Aiyuk. The Pittsburgh Steelers don't know what's going to happen with Brandon Aiyuk. The Cleveland Browns don't know what's going to happen with Brandon Aiyuk. The New England Patriots bowed out, they know he's not going there."
The Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and New England Patriots were all once involved in trying to acquire Aiyuk. New England has since stepped aside, and Aiyuk has made it clear he doesn't want to play for Cleveland. It truly seems like Aiyuk will be in San Francisco or Pittsburgh during the 2024, which makes this situation so unique.
"This has been one of the most unique situations in recent years and in recent memory. There has never been a situation where a player has been on the cusp of being traded a few different times, on the cusp of signing an extension with his own team, and nobody knowing a few weeks before the start of the season how it'll turn out."
Aiyuk and his representatives are willing to let this drag out for however long it will take. They haven't agreed to any of San Francisco's new offers, and seem to be standing pat on their demands in the new extension. Aiyuk is clearly willing to stay home with the 49ers, but he is very open to donning the black and gold in 2024 if that is necessary and the 49ers don't up their offer.
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49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk catches a ball.
It was reported that the Steelers have agreed on a trade with the 49ers, and they have also agreed on a new contract with Aiyuk. Those are the two boxes that need to be checked in order to complete a trade in this situation. Aiyuk could be sent to Pittsburgh before the start of the season, it just depends on when San Francisco decides to give up on their hopes of convincing him to stay.
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Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk makes a catch during a San Francisco 49ers game against the Detroit Lions.
Steelers Get Timeline Of A Potential Deal From Schefter
Many NFL fans are fed up with this entire situation. The entire thing has been drawn out, and it seems like there is no end in sight. Schefter confirmed that when speaking with Candelaria, as he spoke about how sporadic the timing of a potential deal could be.
"It could be this weekend, it could be this week, it could be right before the start of the season. It is a very fluid situation that is constantly changing. Brandon Aiyuk is the number one storyline."
Pittsburgh is hoping for news sooner rather than later, as it would be beneficial to the organization to get the receiver as far in advance of the season as possible. Aiyuk is coming off of the best season of his career, and hopefully he gets the change to continue that in Pittsburgh.
What do you think about Schefter's insights? Let us know in the comments below!
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