Steelers Trade Target Brandon Aiyuk: 49ers ‘Don’t Want Me Back’
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk said the San Francisco 49ers "don't want me back" in a video he posted to TikTok.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk still doesn’t have a long-term deal with the San Francisco 49ers after holding out for the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp, and he told Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that he team doesn’t want him.
In a video he posted to his TikTok account, Aiyuk was on a video call with Daniels, the Commanders’ first-round draft pick out of LSU. In the video, Daniels asked Aiyuk what happened.
“They said they don’t want me back,” Aiyuk said.
“No shit?” asked Daniels.
“I swear,” Aiyuk said.
Aiyuk captioned the video “Im laughing but im crying (for real).”
@brandonaiyukIm laughing but im crying fr♬ original sound – Brandon Aiyuk
The 49ers have reportedly offered Aiyuk a contract worth $26 million per year, so it’s clear that the team has at least some interest in retaining its star wide receiver beyond 2024, the final season of his rookie contract. It’s unclear exactly what Aiyuk is looking for, but he reportedly wants a contract that will match the $30 million annually the Detroit Lions have Amon-Ra St. Brown earlier this offseason.
Of course, just because the sides can’t agree on a long-term contract doesn’t mean that Aiyuk will be traded. San Francisco general manager John Lynch has been steadfast in saying that he wants to keep all of his receivers together this offseason.
The Steelers have been interested in trading for a wide receiver since shipping Diontae Johnson to Carolina earlier this offseason, and have been in contact with the 49ers about trading for Aiyuk and fellow 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The Steelers even restructured the contract of linebacker Alex Highsmith in order to make cap space for such a move before the 2024 NFL Draft, but so far, those talks have not gained traction.
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