As we reach Day 1,000 in the Brandon Aiyuk saga, there’s much we still don’t know about his situation. Where he’ll play, how much we’ll play for, the exact terms of any trade should one go down between Pittsburgh and San Francisco. What we do know, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, is the 49ers have made every effort to re-sign him.
Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show Tuesday, Schefter provided his latest view of the situation.
“He has had a great run and they want to get the deal done,” Schefter said of Aiyuk’s career and value to the 49ers. “They’ve made him multiple offers to try to keep him, but for whatever reason that deal hasn’t gotten done. And that has allowed other teams to enter the fray with trade conversations.”
And you know the rest of the story from there. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and New England all entered trade talks. Aiyuk rejected the Browns and Patriots, leaving the Steelers as the last outside team standing. But Aiyuk has opened the door to stay with San Francisco, the two sides negotiating over the past week.
The 49ers reportedly made an offer to Aiyuk around the draft in the hopes of putting the situation to bed early. That number came in around $26 million per season. But the receiver market has heated up since with Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, D.J. Moore, and Tyreek Hill receiving extensions or re-worked deals. That raised the bar of what a top-five receiver is paid and increased Aiyuk’s asking price to something around if not above the $28 million mark.
It appears the 49ers latest offer came in close to that figure. Yesterday, SI’s Albert Breer noted San Francisco and Pittsburgh proposed similar average yearly figures, though the terms of the Steelers’ deal sent Aiyuk back to the table with the 49ers. Average yearly value is important but it’s only one factor of a contract and often the most misleading. Details matter. Guaranteed money matters. Structure matters and that appears to be the hang-up in getting a deal done with Aiyuk for any team.
Schefter repeated what he said Monday evening, believing there will be “activity” with Aiyuk and push towards a resolution throughout the week. And though it’s impossible to predict what will happen, Schefter believes Aiyuk staying in San Francisco is the most “likely” scenario.
“Here’s what we do know. I think he would like to be in San Francisco. We know he wants to be paid. And we know the 49 ERs wanna keep him. So if all that is there, all the elements are there, it shouldn’t be that hard. It shouldn’t be that hard to get to the point where you figure out what it’s gonna take to get it across the finish line.”
Of course, it has been that difficult. Weeks of reporting and speculation and rumors. The regular season kicks off in just over two weeks and it’s time for Aiyuk and the 49ers to figure out their path forward. And if one doesn’t exist, he should be traded to Pittsburgh to provide finality for everyone.
