Steelers Offer Pushed Brandon Aiyuk Back to the Table with 49ers
The market for San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk isn’t as robust as he anticipated. Outside of the reported $32 million per offer by the New England Patriots, team’s are not keen on paying the All-Pro wideout over $30 million per year, which is what he seeks. Aiyuk rejected New England’s offer since they’re in a rebuilding stage.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported in his MMQB column on Monday that the Steelers’ contract offer to Aiyuk is less than $28 million per year, which is in the same ballpark as what San Fran is offering. The Steelers offer forced Aiyuk to go back to the table with the 49ers.
“The Brandon Aiyuk situation drags on, and I don’t have a whole lot to add on it,” Breer wrote. “The San Francisco 49ers’ star didn’t want to go to New England, which offered him more than $30 million per year in its proposals, or the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers’ price point was less than $28 million, which put Pittsburgh right in the neighborhood the Niners were inhabiting—with Mike Tomlin’s presence there the drawing card. That, in turn, pushed Aiyuk back to the table with the Niners.”
Aiyuk has been at 49ers practice in recent days, but hasn’t participated in any workouts. He is scheduled to make $14.1 million this season.
The Steelers have believed for some time — at least since Steelers Now reported on Aug. 7 — that the Steelers have the framework of a deal in place with San Francisco to land Brandon Aiyuk. It appears that offer isn’t lucrative enough for Aiyuk.
Aiyuk’s contract doesn’t have a no-trade clause, but he effectively holds veto power by refusing to sign a new contract with any team the 49ers might reach a deal with.
49ers general manager John Lynch is hopeful that San Francisco will ink a long-term deal with Aiyuk, but he admitted that it has been a frustrating process.
“I can tell you this: It’s been a long, arduous, hard process, our journey,” Lynch said in an interview with KNBR, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “We started this early and, for whatever reason, haven’t been able to get it across the finish line. That’s been frustrating. But the communication, still, has been really good, both with Brandon and his agent, and we’re trying to figure out solutions.
“I’m always hopeful. I’m an optimistic person [in] nature, and so I’m always hopeful that we’ll get there and get there soon. I can tell you we feel the urgency to have him. The season’s approaching, and we have ample time.”
The 49ers have a history of going down to the wire in contract negotiations with players. All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa signed a massive deal on Sept. 6 last year, while wide receiver Deebo Samuel signed in late July in 2022. Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt also signed his long-term deal on Sept. 9, 2021, so last-second deals are not all that uncommon in the NFL.
There’s been reports that Brandon Aiyuk and head coach Kyle Shanahan have a icy relationship, but Lynch said there there isn’t “bad blood” between the two sides.
“Negotiations can get heated. I think it’s his first time going through that. But no bad blood,” Lynch said. “People that are here see Brandon out here. There’s a lot of love and respect for the relationship we’ve had and continue to have, and hopefully, we’ll have into the future.”
Mike Garafalo of NFL Network reports that Aiyuk wants an adjustment of the final year of the 49ers new deal.
“The 49ers feel like they’ve already caved enough and caved more than they wanted to. They have come up significantly from their offer in the spring. My reporting is that they have pretty much agreed to over the first three years of the deal, which is usually the hard part. That’s the guarantee, the cash flow, the APY over the first couple of years. Aiyuk just wants an adjustment in the final year of the deal,” Garafolo said on Jason Puckett’s YouTube channel.
Lynch is confident that there will be a resolution soon.
“The good news is Brandon is a really, really hard worker,” Lynch said. “He’s taken great care of himself this offseason. He’s in fantastic shape. But there’s things you have to do on a football field, and getting yourself in there with our team. So we’re working hard, and hopefully, there’s a resolution soon.
“That’s all I can share with everyone. I understand the angst of everyone. I understand there’s been all kinds of stories and talk. That’s what people do these days, and we don’t like that part of it, but we love B.A. as a player.”
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