The Pittsburgh Steelers have received some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the Brandon Aiyuk saga is finally over. Decisions have finally been made, and Omar Khan can start focusing on other things now. The bad news is that the Steelers did not receive the outcome that they had been hoping for. Aiyuk has put pen to paper to make it official, but it wasn't in their own building.
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.
After many months of antics and negotiations all over the place, it has officially been announced that the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a deal to keep Aiyuk in the Bay Area for the next four years.
Finally!! 🚨 🚨 🚨
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2024
The #49ers are not trading star WR Brandon Aiyuk — he’s staying in SF with a massive extension, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
Aiyuk is getting a front-loaded 4-year deal worth $120M — done by @RyanWilliamsA1 of @AthletesFirst. And yes, Aiyuk will now practice. pic.twitter.com/2LreDyUDoH
Aiyuk received one of the highest-dollar contracts for a wide receiver in NFL history, which averages out to $30 million per year. The 49ers were finally able to make their star receiver happy, but will it be worth it with their incoming cap situation? Only time will tell. They can at least take a sigh of relief, knowing that the headache of a holdout/hold-in is in the past. Aiyuk is there to play football as opposed to talking about money finally.
Eric Hartline / USA TODAY Sports
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk catches a touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers during a 2023 NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 49ers have made two Super Bowls in recent years but have lost to the Kansas City Chiefs both times. In the most recent one, Aiyuk did not get many targets, which sparked an outrage from his family. That is what started the rumors in the first place, then there was the alleged "disrespect" that he felt during extension negotiations that heated everything up. In the end, Aiyuk wins with his new salary.
Steelers Will Likely Rely On What They Already Have
The Steelers still have a ton of concerns about their own receiving core, including the starting spot outside of George Pickens. Van Jefferson will most likely be the other starting receiver now, but would he be enough? Can any of the young receivers take a step up and prove themselves? There are so many factors that could dictate the state of the receiver room.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Van Jefferson catches a ball during OTAs.
The Steelers do have a run-first offense, so wide receiver isn't exactly the biggest need for the team. It will be interesting to see how they will deploy their receivers with that kind of system. It would be nice to have someone like Aiyuk there as another weapon, but with the potential trade cost and the contract they'd have to give him, the Steelers may have made the right move by not overpaying to acquire him.
What do you think about Aiyuk signing his extension with the 49ers? Let us know in the comments.
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