A Brandon Aiyuk trade has been the hottest topic tied to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.
The disgruntled wide receiver unfollowed the San Fransisco 49ers on social media this week, a clear sign that ongoing negotiations for a long-term contract are not going well.
For a player, deleting association with a team is akin to changing relationship status to single and removing all photo evidence of your significant other and it does often lead to a parting of ways.
Mandatory minicamp doesn’t start until June, but the Steelers and their fans certainly hope the courtship doesn’t last that long.
What would Pittsburgh have to give up for Aiyuk?
“I think what would be more likely is the Steelers giving up a future No. 2 choice and also swapping first-round picks,” the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac wrote in his April 17 Q&A.
It may sound like a lot, but the Steelers need a top-tier veteran after trading their own in a March to the Carolina Panthers. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Pittsburgh uses a first- or second-round pick on a receiver in the NFL draft, so swapping and giving up one for a proven player is worth it. A rookie is an unknown commodity outside of college-level performance.
If the deal goes down, it becomes a matter of what’s next.
An ideal scenario would involve San Fransisco footing some (or all) of Aiyuk’s $14 million salary for this season. Though Pittsburgh wouldn’t need to extend him this offseason, it’s likely they would because he’s entering the final year of his deal. According to Spotrac, Aiyuk’s market value is $24.9 million, and that sounds like the low end of the final figure.
At 26, Aiyuk hasn’t even reached his prime yet and he’s produced insane numbers (2,357 yards, 15 touchdowns) over the past two seasons. He’ll be around for a contract or two.
Aiyuk is worth it, even if it’s not to the San Fransisco 49ers.
