If the race for Brandon Aiyuk was between the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers, Aiyuk could be playing in the AFC North next season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday night that the Patriots have dropped out of the running for Aiyuk after inquiring about his availability.
New England was reportedly offering Aiyuk a contract that would make him one of the five highest-paid receivers in annual average value, but with a roster not yet set to compete, New England is passing on trading assets for the All-Pro receiver.
The team spent draft capital on the receiver position this year, drafting Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round and Javon Baker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Patriots will now focus on developing their young receiver talent around first-round pick Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett instead of making a move for Aiyuk.
Per NBC Sports San Francisco’s Matt Maiocco, the Patriots had a trade in place and large offer on the table for Aiyuk, but he didn’t want to play for the Patriots.
A return to San Francisco can’t be ruled out, and there’s also the chance that other teams get involved. Aiyuk reportedly prefers to play in Pittsburgh, however, although the Steelers and 49ers haven’t been able to agree on compensation as of Tuesday night.
It does seem as if a resolution is approaching when it comes to where Aiyuk will play in 2024, and with New England dropping out of the race, it would appear on the surface that the Steelers’ chances of landing him have increased.
With New England now dropping out of the race, it will be interesting to see if any other team decides to throw their hat in the ring and see if they can land Aiyuk. For Pittsburgh, landing Aiyuk would mean giving up assets and also signing him to a contract that would likely exceed $28m per year.
That would make Aiyuk the highest-paid player on the team, and Pittsburgh would likely be giving him an extension before he plays a snap for the team. The question of whether the team would guarantee any money beyond the first year is also lingering and would break precedent, although they could work around that by giving him a sizable roster bonus.
Needless to say, it’ll be an interesting few days or even hours in Pittsburgh as Steelers fans await news on what’s going to happen with Aiyuk. Things have seemed to move quickly in the last few days, and it feels more likely than ever that a trade will get done. The only question is with whom. If Pittsburgh and Cleveland are the two remaining suitors, the AFC North rivalry could heat up quite a bit with Aiyuk on either side of it if he does indeed get traded.
