49ers Near Brandon Aiyuk Deadline, Could Steelers Make Another Trade Pass?
PALM BEACH, Fla. — A deadline is approaching if the San Francisco 49ers want to trade star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk is due a $22.85 million roster bonus on Tuesday, and if the 49ers pay it to him, it would make trading him during the 2025 offseason nearly impossible. The 49ers just signed Aiyuk to a long extension last offseason, amid trade talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But after a knee injury cost Aiyuk most of the 2024 season, and San Francisco struggled as a team, the 49ers have reportedly had significant buyer’s remorse on the contract they gave their star receiver last summer.
“Since Kyle (Shanahan) and I have been here, we’ve been the No. 2 cash-spending team,” general manager John Lynch said in February. “In the last four years, we’re the fourth-highest cash-spending team. So at some point, you have to reset a little bit, or at least recalibrate. You can’t just keep pressing the pedal.”
That has led to reports that the 49ers are considering trading Aiyuk again this offseason. A report by Adam Schefter of ESPN on Sunday said that a trade is not imminent, two days before the de facto deadline.
It’s probably unlikely the Steelers would still be interesting in trading for Aiyuk. After missing on the San Francisco wide receiver last summer, they made their big move at that position early this year, acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a second-round pick.
But they do still have significant future uncertainly at their wide receiver position. George Pickens is entering the final season of his rookie contract. It’s unclear how he will react to the addition of Metcalf to the receivers’ room, and if he will be willing to show up and play for the Steelers without an extension.
Beyond those two, Calvin Austin III is also entering the final season of his rookie deal and Roman Wilson played just a handful of snaps in an injury-marred rookie season. The only players under contract beyond 2025 with NFL receptions to their name are Metcalf and special teams ace Ben Skowronek.
That has led to speculation that the Steelers could target a wide receiver in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, with the Steelers scouting Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka at his pro day last week.
With a big batch of compensatory draft picks coming in 2026, would the Steelers rather send a draft pick to San Francisco for Aiyuk, and be able to use that first-round pick on defensive line instead?
It’s possible, even if it seems unlikely that Omar Khan would want to commit to two $30 million per year wide receivers without having a long-term quarterback on the roster. We’ll see if talks heat up at owner’s meetings this week.