Brandon Aiyuk Tabbed as Perfect Match for Steelers if Traded
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been linked to San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in trade rumors over the past several months. Although, 49ers general manager John Lynch has repeatedly stated that Aiyuk is not on the trade block.
However, a new twist occurred on Monday when Aiyuk stated in a video call with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that the 49ers “said they don’t want me back.”
“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).”
Shortly after the Aiyuk news flooded social media, NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote on X that Aiyuk would be a perfect match for the Steelers in a trade, if possible.
“If Brandon Aiyuk is truly available via trade (don’t know) I could make a strong argument Pittsburgh would be a perfect match,” Jeremiah wrote.
If Brandon Aiyuk is truly available via trade (don’t know) I could make a strong argument Pittsburgh would be a perfect match.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) June 17, 2024
49ers insider Mike Silver said recently during an interview with KNBR that the 49ers have an offer for Aiyuk, which is around $26 million annually to the star wide receiver. Aiyuk reportedly wants around $30 million per year, however.
“I’m hearing maybe their offer’s in the $26 million range, which, you know, it’s certainly not just Justin Jefferson money, nor should it be, but it’s closer to the DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, that next tier down. They, I think, believe that he’s a really good player, who they’ve developed and they would like to have. And they think he’s one of the better receivers in the league, kind of on that next tier, obviously,” Silver said.
The Steelers are in dire need of another top-flight receiver. Aiyuk would certainly fit the bill as a receiving pair for George Pickens. While the Steelers are in position to pay Aiyuk a handsome sum, I don’t know if general manager Omar Khan would want to dish out $30 million per year.
Khan said last week that he’s encouraged by the trajectory of the wide receiver room.
“We just finished minicamp and I was talking to Coach T and a couple of the other guys in my department, and we were just saying how good we felt about that room,” Khan said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. “Just the growth from when the offseason program started to where we are now. Even the improvements from the start of OTAs to now has really been awesome to see.
“We like the group. We really, really do. And they’re working hard. This was an important OTA and minicamp for us. Got a lot of new faces on offense and just seeing how they jell together, how they worked, and I can just tell you, it’s trending really positively. It was awesome.”