Brandon Aiyuk Reveals Why He Sent a Message to Mike Tomlin

During an appearance on the Nightcap Show with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk revealed why he sent a message to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on X, stating “@CoachTomlin they saying we twins. What you think?”

The tweet sparked speculation that the Steelers and Aiyuk were working on a trade deal, but 49ers general manager John Lynch threw cold water on the trade rumors at the NFL owner’s meetings, stating nothing is happening there.

“Every day while your under contract talks, every day is like a different day. I said I’m not going to say anything and just wait until after my birthday (March 17), and I’m going to try to put a little bit more pressure on them (49ers). I wake up and they’re talking about another team again that I’m supposed to be in trade talks or whatever. So I just said let me, if everybody is saying this, and this, and that, let me go ahead and just put out my one little spots. I reverted back to Tomlin, we can have a little bit of fun with it. It’s all in fun, like I said we’re all professionals, it is what it is. But that’s where the Tomlin stuff came from.”

Brandon Aiyuk say he tweeted at Mike Tomlin because of the trade reports that linked him to the Steelers. #49ers pic.twitter.com/HWfkClqOnC

— Kevin Krueger (@kevinkruegs) March 29, 2024

Tomlin said at the NFL owner’s meetings that he’s heard about Aiyuk being his doppelganger. “I’ve heard a lot of that recently.”

Aiyuk also commented during the show about what he wants from the 49ers and the contract extension.

“I’m trying to get what I deserve. I felt like this season, playing football, I figured out who I was as a person, as a player, what I bring to the table, what I bring to a locker room, what I bring to an organization and just the value I hold when I walk into that building because people are gonna follow me because I’ve done it the right way since I’ve been in that building,” Aiyuk said. “From the first day I walked in there, to when I was in there early this morning, I’ve done it the right way… Like I said, I can’t get into it, we got professionals working on both sides, so hopefully we can come to a professional agreement.”

That means the Steelers, at least, might be in play. Though, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported earlier this week that those trade talks for wide receivers have quieted. But still, if Aiyuk’s contract situation remains unresolved, it at least has to be considered. And clearly, Aiyuk and the team are working on an extension, as both Lynch and Aiyuk have noted.