Fans of Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers are more than tired of all the different negotiations the two have compiled between each other. Recently, it came out that the Steelers may have officially lost out on star receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, as he was deep in contract negotiations with the 49ers, but the rumors have gone back and forth (with his decision seemingly changing on a dime regularly). Currently, it seems like Aiyuk is unhappy with the Steelers now, which is why he is trying to hammer out an extension in the Bay Area.
Perry Knotts / Getty Images
Brandon Aiyuk looks on during the Super Bowl with the 49ers.
Albert Breer reported that the Steelers' contract offer was around the same as the 49ers', and the fact that there wasn't a significant upgrade in average salary per year made him go back to trying to negotiate with General Manager John Lynch.
"The San Francisco 49ers’ star didn’t want to go to New England, which offered him more than $30 million per year in its proposals, or the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers’ price point was less than $28 million, which put Pittsburgh right in the neighborhood the Niners were inhabiting—with Mike Tomlin’s presence there the drawing card. That, in turn, pushed Aiyuk back to the table with the Niners."
There were previous rumors of Aiyuk wanting north of $30 million per year, and the Steelers may have been willing to offer that. However, the price has clearly dropped, as the bidding war has somehow gone in reverse. Even if the Steelers do raise their offer, Lynch and the 49ers have been very stubborn about the package they want in exchange for their disgruntled receiver. This saga may still be far from over.
The Steelers' contract offer to Brandon Aiyuk reportedly pushed him back to the table with the 49ers https://t.co/wCrSACqtQC
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 19, 2024
It was already reported that Aiyuk refused to be a member of the Cleveland Browns or the New England Patriots, who were offering him even more money than the two teams that he is stuck between. That rejection is what most likely caused the price to drop, and that could be why the 49ers are suddenly back in the lead for best chance to have Aiyuk on the team in Week 1.
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.
Steelers, 49ers Are Both Running Out Of Time To Make A Decision
Training camp is already over, and preseason is coming to a close as well, as there is only one game left for every team. While Aiyuk has ran sprints to help stay in shape, he has yet to actually practice with the team during his hold-in. It takes time to knock the rust off of a player. Even though he's an elite receiver, he still needs to make sure that he's in football shape, and that includes taking some hits in practice and preseason.
Both teams are also close to deciding who will make their 53-man roster and who will get cut. If Aiyuk's availability is still unknown, that could throw a wrench into the teams' plans for their opening lineups. The 49ers may end up cutting someone that they don't need to if Aiyuk stays for too long, then gets traded. Meanwhile, the Steelers still have plenty of questions about their receiver deployment that he could answer, if they can get a deal done in time that is.
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.
Both teams have been playing the waiting game all throughout the offseason. They're just waiting for someone to blink, whether it be the other team or Aiyuk himself. With the decreasing contract offers, they both might just be waiting for the receiver to make his final decision. Even if that decision comes LeBron James-style, it will be worth it just to finally end the whole saga and focus on other things before the start of the season.
What do you think about the Steelers offering Aiyuk less than $28 million per year? Let us know in the comments.
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