And you thought today would be all about the Pittsburgh Steelers roster cutdowns. You fool! The Brandon Aiyuk saga is an inescapable void. As the Steelers trimmed down to their initial 53-man roster, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was sounding the alarm that Aiyuk isn’t close to joining Pittsburgh’s new-look group.
Appearing on NFL Live Tuesday afternoon, Schefter said no trade is close to occurring.
“They’ve had trade discussions, but none of those have materialized,” Schefter told the show. “And no trade right now seems close to happening at this point in time.”
Of course, everything regarding Aiyuk is fluid, and Schefter made it clear. As obvious as it is, the 49ers and Aiyuk have been unable to reach a contract agreement. Because the standoff has continued through roster cutdowns, Aiyuk officially had to occupy a spot on the 49ers’ roster. However, holdout OT Trent Williams did not because the team placed him on the Did Not Report list as he searches for a new deal, too.
The last week has largely been quiet on the Brandon Aiyuk front, with little chatter or movement. Aiyuk has been around the team, including traveling to their preseason finale, and talks have ostensibly continued. However, the two sides remain apart on whatever details are preventing them from getting a deal done, and the 49ers haven’t reached their breaking point yet.
The Steelers appear to be the favorite if Brandon Aiyuk is traded. However, reporting over the past week hints that the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, and Cleveland Browns, teams previously assumed to be out of the running, could jump back in. Washington has real ties and reasons to add Aiyuk, looking for a receiver opposite Terry McLaurin and with Aiyuk’s good friend Jayden Daniels at QB.
Pittsburgh could begin its search for more wide receiver help. They kept five receivers on their initial 53-man roster in George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Roman Wilson, Calvin Austin III, and Scotty Miller. Dez Fitzpatrick became the odd man out and was released despite having special teams coverage ability and value.
Like the rest of the NFL, Pittsburgh’s roster remains fluid and could change over the next 24-48 hours, as could Brandon Aiyuk’s situation in San Francisco. Although Schefter indicates things are quiet now, all it takes is one phone call for talks to heat back up. Hopefully, a decision will be made, though recent reporting indicates this storyline could speed past Week 1.
