Insider: ‘There are Legs’ to Steelers Interest in Brandon Aiyuk

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ interest in Brandon Aiyuk remains a subject of rampant speculation, which has continued since March. With no end in sight and the team still having to fill a void at the wide receiver spot opposite George Pickens, Aiyuk is the likeliest target. But is the team even interested in him? Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo says that he believes the team is interested in Aiyuk and that the rumors have ‘legs.’

“There are legs to this. I had a source within the team tell me this back in March, that this was a thing and that there was some interest in Brandon Aiyuk,” Fittipaldo said on 93.7 the Fan. “I think it’s more than a talk show type of thing. I was told there was some real interest on both sides four months ago. It hasn’t happened yet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen before the start of the season.”

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk warms up before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 10, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Reportedly, multiple teams in the NFL would be willing to meet Aiyuk’s asking price of $30 million per season. His trainer, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, said Aiyuk was increasingly pessimistic about re-signing with the 49ers. If that is the case, trade talks could intensify if he plans to hold out into training camp. For a trade to materialize before the season, things will have to get ugly between Aiyuk and 49esr since he is still under contract on his fifth-year option.

Would the Steelers trade the draft capital necessary to land Aiyuk instead of paying him? That remains to be seen, but if they want to make a massive splash and attempt to improve the roster at large, Aiyuk is one way to plant the flag and say that the team intends to win right now.