It isn’t too often that the Pittsburgh Steelers are involved in trade rumors over the course of an entire offseason, but Brandon Aiyuk has made that a reality. Since the Steelers traded Diontae Johnson away, rumors have swirled around them possibly making a move for Aiyuk. There have been ups and downs of this saga since it started, but it’s red-hot again after Aiyuk officially requested a trade. However, one trustworthy insider firmly believes the San Francisco 49ers won’t trade Aiyuk.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is one of the league’s most notable insiders, often having the scoop on all the biggest news. Recently, Rapoport appeared on NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal to speak about Aiyuk’s trade request. Rather than feed into the rumors, he was resistant to the idea that Aiyuk would be traded.
“There’s not a lot of precedent for that,” Rapoport said. “There’s not a lot of precedent for great teams trading great players when you can’t, like if the 49ers trade Aiyuk, which I do not think is going to happen. [Stefon Diggs] would be one, but the Bills are probably in a different mode right now than the 49ers. The only comp I could ever see is the Patriots cutting their top defensive back right before the season. That would be the only one I could ever think about, but it almost never happens.”
The Patriots’ situation that Rapoport is referencing here is probably safety Lawyer Milloy. Milloy was released less than a week before the 2003 season started because he refused to take a pay cut. He was coming off a Pro Bowl season, and the Patriots had Super Bowl aspirations after winning their first championship two years prior. That situation is similar to Aiyuk’s, although Milloy was already almost 30 when he was cut, and Aiyuk is only 26.
He makes a good point though in that teams with real Super Bowl aspirations don’t just get rid of their best players, even if they are having contract issues. Aiyuk may want to get traded, but the 49ers do not have to give in to his desire. If they want to keep him the entire year, they can, and he can either play or sit out, much like Le’Veon Bell did with the Steelers once upon a time.
The Steelers could offer the proper draft capital for Aiyuk, but the draft picks don’t help the 49ers win a Super Bowl this year. They’ve already paid every other major weapon on their offense, and quarterback Brock Purdy will be looking for a huge deal sooner rather than later. Once that quarterback money is on the books, the 49ers won’t be able to field as flexible of a roster as they have been.
To trade Aiyuk, the 49ers would probably be looking to receive a player that can contribute immediately on top of draft capital. That makes a trade even trickier, due to salaries and dead money. The Steelers still need to upgrade at receiver, but they might need to have a backup option prepared because Aiyuk being traded looks less likely as the days go on. Nothing is certain though, and perhaps like the Patriots with Milloy, the 49ers will get sick of having Aiyuk hanging over their heads and decide to trade him. Anything is possible in the NFL.
