By Dianna Russini, Matt Barrows and David Lombardi
The San Francisco 49ers have opened up contract discussions with Brandon Aiyuk and his agent, a league source told The Athletic on Friday.
The 49ers have spent much of this week discussing a potential trade of their top receiver, with the Pittsburgh Steelers considered one of the top candidates for Aiyuk’s services. But, according to a league source, the Steelers have not heard from the 49ers over the last 24 hours.
Aiyuk had been granted permission by the 49ers to talk with other teams, as any trade by San Francisco would be contingent on the acquiring team signing Aiyuk to a new contract. According to a report Monday by NBC Sports Bay Area, the 49ers had agreed to the framework of trades with both the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
The 49ers, to this point, haven’t been satisfied with the Steelers’ trade offers. They would like to receive a player in any trade and would prefer a receiver, although they are open to players at other positions, league sources said.
I texted a front office executive:
Q: Why do you think the 49ers aren’t calling back the Steelers?
A: Probably wait as long as they can…force someone to blink. Sounds like they really don’t want to trade. Maybe hoping someone else comes along. The whole thing is very strange.— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 9, 2024
Why would the 49ers have allowed their top receiver to negotiate with other teams and seek a trade? One answer: It was a tactical move by the team to break out of their own stalemate with Aiyuk.
If that’s the case, his recent sit-down with team officials suggests it may be working. By allowing Aiyuk to talk to teams like the Browns, Patriots and Steelers, it showed him exactly what his market looks like. The Patriots reportedly were willing to give him a salary worth as much as $32 million per year. But New England is in rebuild mode and Aiyuk may not have wanted to work with a rookie quarterback in Drake Maye. The Patriots recently pulled out of the Aiyuk sweepstakes.
The Browns’ quarterback situation, meanwhile, is unsettled beyond this season. The Steelers? Aiyuk seemed more inclined to go there, but Pittsburgh’s trade compensation, at least to this point, has not been satisfactory to the 49ers and there even have been reports that the Steelers were not offering as much money over the life of the contract as the 49ers were. All of which has led to renewed talks with San Francisco.
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The 49ers, who have more highly-paid stars on their roster than any other team in football, may not be able to offer as much money as New England or other teams. But they still have him under contract and believe there’s inherent value in playing for a title contender stocked with All-Pros and a rising QB in Brock Purdy.
Aiyuk likely believes this, too — at least to some extent. And his options are limited if the 49ers don’t want to part ways with him. That’s why there was always a solid chance that talks would heat back up, as they have.
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(Photo: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
