NFL Insider Believes Pressure Could Force Brandon Aiyuk Trade on Draft Day

The Pittsburgh Steelers have heavily been connected to trade rumors for Brandon Aiyuk. Just six days ago, Aiyuk’s agent Ryan Williams of Athletes First shut down a report that his client had requested a trade from the 49ers.

Thursday, he did it again, denying a report by AllSteelers that a Steelers team source “would be surprised” if a trade between the teams for Aiyuk didn’t happen at some point this offseason.

“Another “report” that couldn’t be more incorrect,” Willams wrote on X. “Fictional “journalism” should really stop.”

Another “report” that couldn’t be more incorrect. Fictional “journalism” should really stop. https://t.co/jJWOJgNPi0

— Ryan Williams (@RyanWilliamsA1) April 18, 2024

But the Steelers are still connected to him despite that, and NFL insider Ari Meirov believes that the timeline for an Aiyuk trade could be right at the NFL Draft.

“I would not say the San Francisco 49ers want to move Brandon Aiyuk, but the draft will be a critical pressure point in this saga. Aiyuk wants a top-market receiver contract, and the 49ers are nowhere close to that right now,” Meirov wrote. “If the 49ers still have Aiyuk on the roster after Friday, that should signal they are confident they’ll bridge the gap.”

The Steelers have reached out to the 49ers about Aiyuk, as has been reported by Steelers Now and many other outlets. Mike Florio of NBC Sports reported on Wednesday that their request was rebuffed.

“My understanding is that the Steelers placed a phone call a few weeks ago. And were told by the 49ers we’re not trading the guy,” Florio said in an appearance on 93.7 the Fan on Wednesday.

That jives with what San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has been saying about Aiyuk publicly, as well.

“My understanding is that the Steelers placed a phone call a few weeks ago. And were told by the 49ers we’re not trading the guy,” Florio said in an appearance on 93.7 the Fan on Wednesday.

That vibes with what San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has been saying about Aiyuk publicly, as well.

“I promise you, nothing’s going on there,” Lynch said of the trade rumors. “We’re actually talking to Brandon to try and figure something out. You know, we have a good history of working with the guys that we want to get done to get something done. So, can we do that? We’ll see. There’s a number of different directions that could go. But we appreciate the heck out of Brandon and what he is as a player. We want him to be a part of the Niners, so we’re going to work towards making that a reality.”

On NFL Total Access Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided the latest on the Aiyuk trade rumors. Aiyuk recently unfollowed the San Francisco 49ers on Instagram, suggesting that he’s getting fed up with the team for not reaching his desired figure on a long-term deal.

“Now, as far as the trade request, I would agree with his agent. There has been no trade request,” Rapoport said. “Obviously there have been some teams though who know that all is not well and know that he wants a contract extension. Some receiver-needy teams have acquired over the last several months to see if he could be available. To my knowledge, the 49ers have not entertained any of those talks.”

According to offshore sportsbook SportsBetting.ag, the Steelers are the favorites to land Aiyuk should he leave San Francisco. Aiyuk is heading into the last year of his rookie contract, and will play on the fifth-year option. But the 49ers have a cap crunch, and with Aiyuk needing an extension, that could be significant.

As it stands with the odds, Pittsburgh is the clear cut favorite with 2/1 odds. The Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots hold 6/1 odds while the Arizona Cardinals boast 7/1 odds and the Los Angeles Chargers finish it out with 9/1 odds. 

So, if the trade talks intensify, it seems the Steelers are expected to be in the driver’s seat for Aiyuk.