The trade saga of San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk is full of twists and turns. The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly been out of it as recently as Monday. Then the Steelers were back in it on Tuesday. Another team heavily rumored to be in on a potential trade is the New England Patriots.
The negotiations are a bit tougher than most trades, though. The 49ers would love to keep Aiyuk, who wants to get paid. So a potential suitor has to woo both San Francisco and Aiyuk. The Patriots’ plan for courting Aiyuk involves a lot of money, unsurprisingly. But the Patriots want to get better on offense, and their mantra this offseason can be summed up in one word.
“Aggressively,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss said on SportsCenter Tuesday about the Patriots’ pursuit of Aiyuk. “A source told me that the Patriots are willing to make Aiyuk one of the top-five highest-paid receivers in the NFL in average per year. Put him there right alongside Tyreek Hill of the Dolphins, A.J. Brown of the Eagles. And this all goes back to something that Eliot Wolf, the new Vice President of Player Personnel, said in the offseason. He said we want to weaponize the offense. Remember, they went hard after free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley, were willing to spend big for him. But Ridley ended up in Tennessee. Now they’re willing to spend big to try to entice Aiyuk to want to come to New England.”
Reporting for @SportsCenter: Joining @aminajadeTV to share how the Patriots are approaching their pursuit of WR Brandon Aiyuk. pic.twitter.com/WFOm87PXyj
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 6, 2024
According to reports, the Patriots have been pursuing Aiyuk for some time now. The reports indicate that New England is still offering the same trade package to the 49ers, but Reiss’ report is the first we’ve heard about the offer to Aiyuk.
And the money for Aiyuk is just as big a part of this trade as the compensation going to San Francisco. The Patriots are operating under the idea of surrounding their rookie QB Drake Maye with as much talent as possible. That makes sense after investing the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. So they’re willing to pony up the funds to pay Aiyuk what he’s been looking for which is in the neighborhood of $30 million a year.
That total would put Aiyuk among the five highest-paid receivers in average per year which is what the Patriots are offering. The Steelers would struggle to match that, so they’re going to need to find another way to lure Aiyuk to Pittsburgh. But Aiyuk himself has said that the Steelers are among the teams he would expect to be playing on in 2024.
When it comes to playing for a team, it isn’t just about the money. The money is great, but it’s also about culture and fit. The Patriots are going through a complete rebuild with first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. The Steelers have an established head coach in Mike Tomlin that even players who have never suited up in Pittsburgh love.
So there is a lot that remains to be seen. But the Patriots are doing everything in their power to get Aiyuk to New England.
