Brandon Aiyuk Reportedly Called Off Trade to Steelers in 11th Hour

Chris Ward |

Updated: Sep 8, 2024

San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk — Brandon Aiyuk from the Washington Football Team at San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona, December 13, 2020 (All-Pro Reels Photography)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk called off a trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 11th hour to stay with the 49ers, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. San Francisco gave Aiyuk an ultimatum, as head coach Kyle Shanahan told Aiyuk that he had to make a decision by the end of practice on the day the deal got done. Aiyuk chose to stay in San Francisco and signed a four-year, $120 million extension ($76 million guaranteed).

This story is WILD. 🤯

According to @JayGlazer, Brandon Aiyuk called off a trade to the Steelers in the eleventh hour to stay with the 49ers!

Kyle Shanahan told Aiyuk that he had to make a decision by the end of practice on the day the deal got done. Aiyuk chose to stay in San… pic.twitter.com/CAXBHXLOEO

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 8, 2024

There was also a report that the 49ers would have sent Aiyuk to the Steelers if the Denver Broncos accepted San Francisco’s third-round pick trade offer for wide receiver Courtland Sutton, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

“The 49ers only were willing to trade Aiyuk if they could get a top-flight wide receiver to replace him. They offered a third-round pick to Denver for Courtland Sutton, and then would’ve dealt Aiyuk to the Steelers, but the Broncos declined the offer,” Russini reported.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated added more context, responding to Russini’s report, “This scenario, as I understand it, would’ve had the 49ers landing 2nd- and 3rd-round picks from Pittsburgh for Brandon Aiyuk, flipping the 3 to Denver. The Steelers didn’t want to part with a player for Aiyuk. All’s well that ends well—Keeping Aiyuk was always SF’s preference.”

The Steelers not having a wide receiver to trade for Aiyuk was the biggest obstacle in landing the star wide receiver. A three-team trade was their only hope, and Denver did not budge on the 49ers’ third-round pick offer for Sutton.

“At the end, it was either going to be Steelers or 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk,” Rapoport said on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “The Steelers didn’t have a wide receiver. They were never going to trade (George) Pickens. Didn’t have a receiver to trade the 49ers. They couldn’t do a deal.”

Breer reported in his MMQB column on Aug. 19 that the Steelers’ contract offer to Aiyuk was less than $28 million per year, which was in the same ballpark as what San Francisco was offering. The Steelers offer forced Aiyuk to go back to the table with the 49ers.

Despite the Steelers strong effort to land Aiyuk, it seems like there was a lot of smoke and mirrors, staying in San Fran was the ultimate designation. He was just using the Steelers as leverage for more money. But it is interesting that the 49ers gave Aiyuk a take it or leave it option once the saga inched closer to the season.