As The Aiyuk Turns another day and into the weekend, a resolution might have come quicker if there was a wide receiver the Pittsburgh Steelers could offer the San Francisco 49ers in return. In two appearances on SportsCenter Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter offered his latest overview of the situation and the reason for the elusive finality in the saga.
“The problem with the Steelers’ offer is it doesn’t include a wide receiver, and if the Niners are gonna lose a great receiver like Aiyuk, they need to have a replacement,” Schefter said. “And they don’t, which is why trade talks have slowed.”
Pittsburgh is making a push for Aiyuk precisely because they lack top-end talent at the position after trading Diontae Johnson in the offseason and signing a trio of low-tier veterans: Quez Watkins, Van Jefferson, and Scotty Miller. None of the three have significant enough trade value to serve as Aiyuk’s replacement. Any Steelers offer reportedly only includes draft picks and no players at any position, complicating the type of deal the 49ers would agree to.
Schefter’s report contradicts NFL Network reporting that hinted trade terms between Pittsburgh and San Francisco were essentially finalized with the only decision left being if the 49ers could agree to a long-term deal with Aiyuk instead. On that front, San Francisco’s offers haven’t been enticing enough.
“The 49ers have made him offers that some people thought he would take, but he hasn’t taken yet,” Schefter said.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the sticking point comes in the last year of Aiyuk’s proposed contract, though exact details of the issue aren’t clear. It’s seemingly an obstacle that can be overcome but until it’s done, the Steelers and 49ers remain in holding patterns. And no one seems to know when there will be a resolution. Last year, the 49ers waited until just days before Week 1 to finalize a long-term deal with star DE Nick Bosa. This situation isn’t exactly the same, but San Francisco has shown a willingness to be patient.
“Every time it looks like a solution is on the horizon, whether that be a long-term extension in San Francisco or a trade to Cleveland, New England or Pittsburgh, it doesn’t materialize, and the situation just continues to drag on there in San Francisco,” Schefter said during a segment later in the day. “It’s the type of thing that could be resolved very quickly, like later today, or it could drag on to the start of the season. And even the 49ers are having a hard time figuring out exactly when, if, and how this is going to come to an end.”
If the 49ers end up trading Aiyuk without getting a receiver in return, they’ll have little urgency to make the deal happen in short order. There won’t be a player on the receiving end they’d prefer to get in their building and get up to speed ahead of Week 1. For the Steelers, the sooner, the better, to understand their receiver situation and their salary cap. This situation could be holding up extensions with TE Pat Freiermuth and possibly DT Cam Heyward.
While the Steelers wait, they’ll prepare for their second preseason game Saturday night against the Buffalo Bills, evaluating their internal options. Van Jefferson had an excellent camp and rookie Roman Wilson seems poised to soon return from an ankle sprain. But neither of them are Brandon Aiyuk, a player who could put Pittsburgh’s offense over the top.
