Everything You Need To Know About Brandon Aiyuk To Pittsburgh Rumors
Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
It’s happening?
It took until well after training camp started, but the long-awaited Brandon Aiyuk rumors finally look like they’re heading to a conclusion. Over the past 48 hours, it came out that the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots had trade frameworks in place to acquire the San Francisco 49ers. Those deals were contingent on Aiyuk coming to an agreement on a contract extension with his potential suitors. Clearly, it seems that neither team was able to entice the star receiver.
As of this morning, the Steelers have been gaining steam in the Aiyuk sweepstakes. Or re-gaining it. This match has been speculated about for months. It didn’t happen, and it appeared as if Pittsburgh may have walked away from the idea altogether.
At the end of the day, however, it perhaps makes too much sense for both sides to not get done. On Wednesday morning, Kimberley A. Martin went on Mike Greenberg’s ESPN morning show Get Up! and told the nation her belief that an Aiyuk trade will happen and that the only viable suitor left is the Steelers.
“[Adam] Schefter reported that the Patriots have bowed out. I’m told after talking to multiple sources that Brandon Aiyuk did not wanna play for the Patriots, and he doesn’t wanna play for the Browns,” Martin said. “Now the sense I’m getting is it’s a matter of when this happens, not if this happens.”
If the destination isn’t in question, the only thing is the package. The Browns were apparently willing to send Amari Cooper to San Francisco, giving the Niners a replacement at wide receiver. New England was reportedly going to send Kendrick Bourne, a former 800-yard receiver and 49er, as part of their package. The Steelers don’t have a spare receiver to give.
Without a roster player, NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco believes that the 49ers would seek two second-day draft picks as the price for Aiyuk. While not the first-round pick San Francisco was seeking earlier this offseason, it would still be a significant investment in draft capital.
However, it would only be draft capital that Pittsburgh would give up, giving them a legitimate No. 1 caliber receiver to place alongside No. 1 caliber George Pickens. It’d not only be a match between two top receivers, but two wideouts with well-rounded, but complementary skill sets.
Pickens is an elite deep threat, with the second-highest yards per catch in the NFL (16.9) and second-highest yards before the catch (12.6) among the 79 receivers with 100-plus targets over the past two years. Meanwhile, Aiyuk is tied for 19th in average yards after the catch (5.0), while being tied for 13th in yards before the catch. Russell Wilson would have two elite targets to break off huge plays.
The Steelers haven’t quite given into the Niners’ trade demands as of late Wednesday, and there’s probably a good reason for that. If they’re really the only game in town for Aiyuk — thanks in part to Aiyuk wanting to play for Mike Tomlin — and they’ve already waited this long, why not try to whittle the price down?
So while we’re still waiting for things to come to a resolution, it seems as if the deal will get done, it’s just a matter of what the particulars of the trade and Aiyuk’s compensation going forward. As of late Wednesday afternoon, the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said, “We’re inching our way there. If you’re asking me how this thing is eventually going to end, I believe it’s going to end with Brandon Aiyuk traded to the Steelers.”
And now we wait. Again.
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