The San Francisco 49ers must be hoping that the turmoil surrounding Brandon Aiyuk will not result in the loss of their top receiver.
There are two probable outcomes to the long-running Aiyuk story, according to a media article released on Tuesday: either Aiyuk gets dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers or he returns to the 49ers.
However, as this story has shown us, things may change.
The conditions of the deal have been accepted by the 49ers and Steelers, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Steelers are “in a good place on an Aiyuk contract.” According to the report, the trade will close after the 49ers give their approval. The article also stated that Aiyuk has been extended an offer by the 49ers for a long-term contract, which he has evidently declined.
If the 49ers were prepared to let go, Aiyuk would have already joined the Steelers, based on the language of that report.
Brandon Aiyuk has an offer from the 49ers.
This fact has not changed in Aiyuk’s case during the entire ordeal, which began a few days following the Super Bowl when his fiancée made the suggestion that Aiyuk might have played his final game with the 49ers. With Aiyuk, San Francisco is more likely to win the Super Bowl than it is without him.
If a player is unhappy with his contract and wants to leave, other teams might be more open to trading him. However, the 49ers are among the select few clubs that can genuinely believe they are favorites to win the Super Bowl heading into the year. It is a step backward to trade their top receiver from the previous season.
The 49ers had to pay attention when it was claimed that Aiyuk received a contract offer of at least $30 million a year, but he showed little interest in joining the New England Patriots. Had it been solely a financial matter, Aiyuk would not have ruled out moving to New England. The 49ers have the best situation if the situation is important. They’ve also extended a fresh contract offer to him.
Perhaps there was a way to keep the 49ers and Aiyuk’s connection intact, and the team might not be in a rush.
Where will Aiyuk play?
Aiyuk has little negotiating power if the 49ers don’t sell him and don’t agree to a long-term contract with him—that is, unless he is prepared to forfeit his $14.1 million pay for the current campaign. Even though he receives less money than any other receiver in his class, if the 49ers draw a hard line this season, he will eventually have to play for San Francisco.
The 49ers should cave; the Steelers hope. Pittsburgh’s receiving corps is shaky. Aiyuk (1,342 yards) would solve that problem if he were included. He’s also a long-term option because he’s only 26 years old.
At this point, it’s supposedly all on the 49ers. The result will have a big impact on their hopes of winning a Super Bowl this year.
