It was almost a month ago that the Brandon Aiyuk trade talks reached a boiling point with several teams reportedly making offers that the San Francisco 49ers were actually considering for the first time all offseason. After the dust settled, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the only team that reportedly had a shot to acquire the talented wide receiver via trade.
But weeks have gone by, and still no update. By all accounts, the Steelers still have their offer on the table, but the 49ers have been attempting to make a last-ditch effort to extend Aiyuk on a long-term deal.
NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo addressed the situation this morning via Good Morning Football.
“I can’t tell you how many times I thought this Aiyuk thing was going to be resolved one way or another, whether it was a trade or contract extension, and we are still stuck in the mud here on Brandon Aiyuk,” Garafolo said in a clip posted on X. “At this point, they get into the practice schedule this week and they’re gonna practice this afternoon. And sort of the understanding was that at this point he would practice.
“So we’re gonna have to see if he’s on the field this afternoon with the San Francisco 49ers. But again, no closer to an extension or a trade there than we were the last couple of weeks.”
Once the 49ers reopened negotiations, it seemed likely that Aiyuk would ultimately remain in San Francisco. They reportedly upped the offer significantly from where they were at in the spring and were working to iron out one final detail to make the deal happen. Yet here we are weeks later with no executed deal.
OT Trent Williams continuing to hold out looking for a big payday is further complicating matters. He is arguably the best left tackle in football and is a large part of the 49ers’ success on offense. It would seem that the more pressure Williams applies to the 49ers, the bigger chance they have of cutting their losses with Aiyuk.
I would be surprised if this thing drags out into the start of the season. That gives a deadline of a little over a week before the 49ers need to make their ultimate decision.
One of the major dominoes fell in the WR market on Monday afternoon. Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb agreed to terms on a massive four-year, $136 million extension. The structure of the deal places him right in the territory of WR Justin Jefferson. I can’t imagine that does anything to help matters with Aiyuk and the 49ers.
After roster cutdowns, the Steelers kept just five wide receivers – George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller, and Calvin Austin III. Adding Aiyuk would obviously be a major upgrade to the group that could help elevate the Steelers’ offense to a highly competitive unit.
Omar Khan appears to be waiting this out with his offer on the table, but time is winding down to the start of the season. This saga will finally be put to rest soon one way or another.
