The long, drawn-out standoff between the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t appear to be winding down.
There’s no incentive for either side to back down since they both lose whatever leverage they have if they budge. This is why the 49ers have started exploring trades. They’re testing the market to see if they can end this standoff and improve their team in the process.
Improvement is the key here. And improving while losing an All-Pro wide receiver isn’t easy. It’s even harder when one of the teams Aiyuk wants to play for is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Since Aiyuk will likely have to agree to sign a long-term extension with whatever team he’s traded to, he can effectively exercise the equivalent of a no-trade clause. That will limit the number of teams the 49ers can do business with.
The problem with the Steelers is that there’s not an obvious trade that makes sense for San Francisco. Any player they’d want from Pittsburgh is likely not a player the Steelers would be willing to deal. Any player the Steelers would be willing to deal is likely not a player the 49ers would want.
This made sense even before the trade rumors started flying. Then The Athletic’s Dianna Russini confirmed the conundrum in a report on Thursday:
The 49ers, to this point, haven’t been satisfied with the Steelers’ offers and would like a receiver in return for Aiyuk as part of a trade, although they are open to players at other positions, league sources said.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 8, 2024
Pittsburgh’s receiving corps is thin. George Pickens is their best receiver, but he’s probably not a guy Kyle Shanahan would love. He’s also a good player that the Steelers likely aren’t eager to move.
They might be willing to part with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick or defensive end Alex Highsmith. They’re also both excellent players that Pittsburgh may view as foundational pieces.
Perhaps a third team gets involved and has a receiver to offer. Or the 49ers could be using all of this to try and get Aiyuk to come down on his contract demand where they won’t bother getting a third team involved.
This web continues to get tangled, and every day it looks like the easiest solution for both sides may be to avoid a trade altogether.
