If you have your tin foil hat handy, make sure it’s on tight. Because this story fits it perfectly. Already, it’s been an aggressive and busy Pittsburgh Steelers offseason. And with at least one Steelers reporter hinting at more big moves coming, some have speculated the Steelers could pursue San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Looking for a payday, the 49ers might not ink him to a long-term deal after already signing RB Christian McCaffrey and WR Deebo Samuel.
Tuesday afternoon, Aiyuk’s comments are only going to add fuel to that fire. Aiyuk tweeted at Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, writing: “they saying we twins. What you think ?” with an eye emoji.
And as one commenter pointed out, it’s the first time Aiyuk has tweeted since last April. So it’s not like he’s someone who takes the time to share his thoughts on social media.
For those who aren’t terminally online like us, that’s in reference to a photo that made its way around the Internet earlier this offseason. One showing Aiyuk bearing a striking resemblance to Tomlin, just with longer hair.
Aiyuk, 26, is coming off a career season. He finished 2023 with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, named second-team All-Pro. He got his season started with a big day against the Steelers in a blowout victory, catching eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, including a fantastic end-zone grab over Patrick Peterson.
After the game, Tomlin would say that the team’s game plan to minimize Samuel, McCaffrey, and TE George Kittle provided more opportunities for Aiyuk. Still, he gave the receiver his due.
“I don’t think any of that is surprising to us. His evolution, particularly over the latter half of last year, is kind of reflective of that performance. We tip our cap to him,” Tomlin said. “He made a combat, 50/50 catch for a touchdown. He made some other significant plays. He played a really good football game.”
Though the dot-connecting is at least a little interesting, there are hurdles to Pittsburgh actually getting a deal for Aiyuk done. Trading for him won’t come cheap in draft pick or financial considerations. As Dave Bryan pointed out Tuesday morning, Aiyuk currently carries a cap charge of over $14 million that has to be accommodated for initially even if the team’s plan was to quickly hammer out an extension. And that new deal will likely cost over $20 million per year.
Is it impossible for Pittsburgh to make that happen? No. But it’s a factor. So is the likely Day 2 selection the Steelers would have to give up for Aiyuk. And they’d have to convince the 49ers, an organization that just barely lost the Super Bowl, to trade away a top asset. To be clear, there’s no reporting from major NFL insiders that suggests the Steelers are in talks with the 49ers about striking a deal.
But with Steelers news calming down after a hectic first week of free agency, this story will keep us occupied for a little while. Aiyuk is certainly playing his part to, at the least, stoke rumors and stories like these to perhaps build up more leverage against San Francisco.
