Take it for whatever it’s worth but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk might be expecting something big to happen six days from now. Which, of course, is Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. And if Aiyuk is going to get traded, that’s as good a time as any it could happen.
Though not one to usually post on social media, Aiyuk has been relatively active in recent weeks as he angles for a new contract from whichever team is willing to give it to him. In an Instagram story he shared Friday afternoon, he was on a Facetime call with the caption:
“Brother said we got 6days and it’s fireworks”
It’s not clear who the other person in the Facetime call is.
Does that mean Aiyuk expects to be traded then? Is this more social media trolling as Aiyuk admittedly did when he tweeted at Mike Tomlin earlier in the offseason? That’s anyone’s guess. The good news is we’ll get an answer by next Thursday night.
While draft days trades of that magnitude are uncommon, they have occurred in recent years. The Tennessee Titans sent star WR A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2022 draft for a first-round pick. The Eagles gave up plenty in capital, draft and financial, for Brown, but the moved has paid off, Brown becoming the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.
Speculation has been mixed on the Steelers’ involvement in Aiyuk. It appears there’s some level of interest, but Aiyuk’s agent has been putting in overtime tamping down rumors, first denying Aiyuk had requested a trade and later downplaying the Steelers’ interest in getting a deal done soon.
Trading for Aiyuk would require a high draft pick, though potentially not a first rounder, in addition to paying him well over $20 million per season. Agreeing on the structure of the deal, including guaranteed money, is another hurdle. The Steelers, though, are looking for a wide receiver after sending Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
Six days from now, we’ll see if there’s fireworks. Or if this post is the equivalent of a lousy Fourth of July sparkler.
