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While wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk continues to hold in for a new contract from the San Francisco 49ers, a resolution could be coming soon.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the 49ers “have a deal on a potential trade” with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Aiyuk. The Steelers reportedly are “in a good place” regarding a contract offer for the wideout, and the deal is just waiting for the 49ers to give “the final sign-off.” Rapoport added that San Francisco has made a long-term contract offer for Aiyuk to stay, but he has yet to accept it.
It’s unclear what’s causing the holdup in negotiations between Pittsburgh and San Francisco, but Aiyuk would reportedly receive the pay increase he’s been seeking if the deal gets done. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on Monday that the Steelers’ contract offer to Aiyuk “was around $28 million per year that several other receivers (DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown) got this offseason.”
However, Breer pointed out that Pittsburgh doesn’t “have geographic appeal” the same way the New England Patriots didn’t when they offered “a deal in excess of $30 million per year.”
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini noted that the Steelers “have been waiting for days to hear from” the 49ers regarding a deal for Aiyuk. She added that Pittsburgh is “just in wait-and-see mode.” It was also reported during her Scoop City podcast that Aiyuk hasn’t been definitive in deciding which team he wants to suit up for in 2024 and beyond.
“From what I was told, the player hasn’t really been easy to work with in terms of what he wants, which I don’t think is breaking news there because he seems to be a little bit all over the place. ‘I want to be in San Francisco, I really want to play here, but no I actually want to play for Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh,'” Russini said.
Still, things appear to be inching toward a resolution, as the Steelers are just waiting for the 49ers to pull the trigger on their deal for Aiyuk.
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