Due to the 49ers‘ interest in keeping Brandon Aiyuk via an extension, the fifth-year wide receiver carried substantial control during his trade sweepstakes despite the lack of a no-trade clause. Although Aiyuk shut down Cleveland and New England as destinations, as his San Francisco talks continued, he was believed to be fine being dealt to Pittsburgh. Until the 11th hour, that is.
While Aiyuk ended up signing a four-year, $120MM extension to remain with the 49ers, FOX’s Jay Glazer reports the team nearly traded him to the Steelers on the day he agreed to terms. After giving Aiyuk what amounted to an ultimatum two weeks ago, the 49ers were finalizing a trade to the Steelers. Aiyuk intervened, however, leading to a frantic sequence that shut down this would-be deal. The Steelers’ party line pointed to the team expecting Aiyuk to sign a 49ers extension, but it certainly appears they were in this until the end.
Aiyuk showed up early to the 49ers’ facility August 29, meeting with Kyle Shanahan to inform the eighth-year HC he was still interested in staying. Shanahan attempted to call the 49ers’ front office power brokers to inform them of this, but Glazer adds he was unable to get through due to team brass’ discussions with the Steelers about the then-impending trade. Shanahan then proceeded to run across the facility to stop trade talks, with the team then expressing its final ultimatum.
Aiyuk had until the end of practice August 29 to commit to the team — via the extension offer that had been on the table since August 12 — or be traded. Shanahan effectively confirmed (via 49ersWebZone.com) Glazer’s account after the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Jets.
That development wrapped one of the busiest wide receiver sagas in recent NFL history. The 49ers had put two offers on the table for Aiyuk earlier in August — a three-year deal worth $87MM and the four-year, $120MM proposal — but SI.com’s Albert Breer indicated the fifth-year wideout rejected both. San Francisco had remained at its $26MM-per-year offer — which surfaced in May — until training camp but eventually came up toward Aiyuk’s price point. The guarantees in San Francisco’s 3/87 offer are not known, but the AAV would have still checked in more than $5MM north of Deebo Samuel‘s three-year deal (3/71.55).
That $26MM-per-year number came in lower than the Steelers’ extension offer — $27.7MM — but Aiyuk said he factored quarterback play and long-term success into his decision, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner adds. The 49ers saw Aiyuk and Brock Purdy form a potent connection last season, when Aiyuk zoomed to second-team All-Pro honors and led the NFC champions in receiving by a wide margin.
San Francisco has also become one of this period’s most reliable teams, advancing to two Super Bowls and two more conference championship games since 2019. The Steelers continue to stay above .500, but they have not won a playoff game since 2016. Their quarterback situation also invites major questions — particularly beyond 2024.
The Steelers had been part of a potential three-team trade — for all intents and purposes — involving the Broncos, as the 49ers had attempted to flip Pittsburgh’s third-round pick for Courtland Sutton. Denver declined, but Breer adds the 49ers ultimately called around a dozen teams discussing trades for wide receivers. The Steelers offered second- and third-round pick for Aiyuk but did not include any players, which did not mesh with what the 49ers wanted as they constructed another Super Bowl-contending roster. The other 49ers calls also involved the team attempting to trade the Steelers third-round pick for a wideout.
Despite the 49ers’ reservations about the Steelers not including a veteran player in their proposal, Pittsburgh and San Francisco agreed to trade parameters in mid-August. Despite his team’s short- and long-term QB uncertainty, Mike Tomlin had presented a draw for Aiyuk. This ties to the respected HC’s conversations with the wideout during the pre-draft process in 2020, Breer adds. The Steelers had traded their 2020 first-rounder for Minkah Fitzpatrick months earlier but did draft a wideout with its first pick that year (Chase Claypool, No. 49). The 49ers had taken Aiyuk at 25.
The Browns were willing to offer Aiyuk $30MM per season on a three-year deal, but the top extension offer in this derby still came from a Patriots team that had also chased Calvin Ridley in free agency.
New England also sent two offers Aiyuk’s way, per Breer, who adds the team was willing to pay the former first-round pick $32MM per year on a four-year deal and $30MM AAV on a three-year contract. As far as the Pats’ trade offer goes, Breer reports they proposed a 2025 second-rounder, a 2026 fourth and one veteran player. The 49ers had asked about a Kendrick Bourne reunion. While Breer does not specify which player the Pats were set to include, Bourne represents a good guess — even though his ACL rehab landed him on the PUP list.
George Pickens does not have much in the way of proven help in Pittsburgh. Ex-Rams and Falcons supporting-caster Van Jefferson started Sunday. Roman Wilson did not make his debut in Atlanta, but Tomlin said the third-round rookie will see more practice time soon. An ankle injury kept Wilson off the field during the preseason. The Steelers have a strong WR development track record, but after narrowly missing out on Aiyuk, they certainly look to need a quick progression from Wilson.
“I’m comfortable with the performance of these guys,” Tomlin said about his auxiliary WR group. “(I) had some questions, even dating back to spring, and to be quite honest with you, I probably went into the receiver room a couple weeks into camp and told them that. I just believe in being really transparent.
“But the consistency with which those guys performed in Latrobe and with team development has made me more comfortable, and specifically I’m talking about Scotty Miller and Van Jefferson. I just can’t say enough about the consistency with which they’ve performed, their floor.”
The Steelers added Miller, who joined Jefferson in playing under Arthur Smith last season, shortly after the draft. Miller played 17 offensive snaps against the Falcons; Jefferson logged 49 and caught one pass.
