A report recently surfaced that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk asked for a trade and that the Pittsburgh Steelers were in hot pursuit of him.
Well, Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, refuted the claim that Aiyuk had requested to be dealt, and now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is dismissing the rumor that the Steelers were making a strong push for him.
“The notion that Aiyuk had requested a trade is not accurate,” Florio said on 93.7 The Fan. “The notion that the Steelers had been the most aggressive is not accurate. My understanding is there was maybe a phone call weeks ago and the response was, ‘We’re not trading the guy.’ And that was that.”
So, basically, Pittsburgh placed a call to San Francisco (probably right around the time when the Aiyuk-to-Pittsburgh speculation began last month), the Niners said no, and everyone moved on.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the 49ers aren’t in a tricky situation with Aiyuk.
The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his deal, and given San Francisco’s financial constraints, it may not be able to afford him long term. Aiyuk has also made it abundantly clear that he isn’t open to taking any hometown discounts, further increasing the Niners’ difficulty level in re-signing him.
Keep in mind, the 49ers also need to worry about paying quarterback Brock Purdy, who becomes eligible for an extension next offseason. They also have numerous other names on the roster already making big money, such as fellow wide out Deebo Samuel.
Should San Francisco legitimately place Aiyuk on the trade block, the Steelers probably would be one of the most interested parties, as they desperately need receiver depth behind George Pickens after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
Still, the chances of the Niners actually moving Brandon Aiyuk when they are still firmly in Super Bowl contention seem rather slim, even if it means they might lose him to free agency next March.
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