PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the focal point of the Brandon Aiyuk trade saga as everyone waits for one of two outcomes, with the expected one being a deal with the San Francisco 49ers that sends the All-Pro East. And according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have juiced up their deal.
To this point, the 49ers are reportedly looking for a second and a third-round pick, plus a veteran play in exchange for Aiyuk. They’d like to acquire a wide receiver in the deal, but are open to other positions as well.
The Steelers have not met those requirements yet, but Rapoport reports they have given a “strong” trade offer and are now waiting for the 49ers’ response.
“At one point, it looked like he was headed to the Cleveland Browns. At another point, maybe the New England Patriots, they made a strong offer as well, both trade and contract, as did the Browns. Now, it seems the Pittsburgh Steelers are the most likely destination,” Rappoport said. “They made a strong trade offer and they have made a strong contract offer to Brandon Aiyuk, but I only say most likely destination if he goes anywhere, because over the course of the last, let’s say 24 to 48 hours, the 49ers have taken maybe a little bit of a different approach than they had over the previous several weeks.
“They met with Brandon Aiyuk. They re-engaged on contract talks to try to bring him back and essentially keep him home. What remains unclear is which direction it is going to go. The Steelers are still in the mix. The 49ers are still in the mix. It is undecided right now who Brandon Aiyuk is going to play for.”
On top of a trade, the Steelers will need to ink a deal with Aiyuk that is expected to be worth roughly $30 million per season. He’ll join George Pickens, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin within the receiver room and look to be the missing piece to a revamped offense that is now run by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
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