The San Francisco 49ers have reportedly agreed on a trade that will send superstar wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to an AFC contender.
According to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers “have a verbal agreement in place” on a Brandon Aiyuk trade. Fillipponi added that the terms of a new contract for the 26-year-old are being finalized.
Over the past 48 hours, multiple reports have indicated that the 49ers are about to trade Aiyuk, with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns initially mentioned as the two front-runners.
But it was reported yesterday that the Steelers had also emerged as players in the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes. In the evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Patriots were no longer in on the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes.
Sources: After inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk’s availability, the Patriots have decided not to explore any further trade possibilities with the 49ers regarding their standout wide receiver. Patriots are excited about their young receivers and want to focus on them. pic.twitter.com/RglYQJBmAx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2024
The Steelers had been linked to Aiyuk leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, but a deal was never materialized. 49ers GM John Lynch maintained his desire to extend the All-Pro receiver long-term, but the two sides obviously couldn’t find a middle ground on a new deal.
Last season, Aiyuk caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
Brandon Aiyuk Would Make The Steelers Super Bowl Contenders
If Aiyuk is indeed Steel City-bound, then the chase for the AFC Championship just heated up even further.
The Steelers won 10 games last year with a lackluster QB room of Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett. They upgraded at the position by bringing in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. If Aiyuk is also coming to Pittsburgh, then there’s no telling how much better this Pittsburgh offense will be.
Aiyuk would be joining a Pittsburgh offense led by rising superstar George Pickens, tight end Pat Freiermuth and the dynamic rushing tandem of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Pickens is already a true No. 1 receiver, but he’d likely play second-fiddle to Aiyuk. That just goes to show how dangerous this new-look Pittsburgh offense will be.
