The Pittsburgh Steelers resumed trade discussions with the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday concerning wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Negotiations, which had stalled on Monday night, picked back up on Tuesday, Schefter reports.
Earlier in the day, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport stated that the Steelers were “for sure” still in the running for Aiyuk. Pittsburgh is among the teams engaging with the 49ers, along with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, Rapoport adds.
Reports indicate that the 49ers had frameworks of deals in place with the Patriots and Browns on Monday. However, the Steelers exited the race after failing to meet San Francisco’s asking price.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Tuesday that Aiyuk, who is dissatisfied with his lack of a long-term extension, has permission to speak with other teams, according to 49ers on NBCS.
San Francisco reportedly allowed the Patriots, Browns, Steelers, and Washington Commanders to negotiate a contract with Aiyuk, although the Commanders later withdrew from talks. A substantial contract extension is anticipated to follow any potential trade for Aiyuk, who is set to earn a base salary of $14.1 million in 2024.
The Patriots have been targeting Aiyuk for months and are prepared to offer him a deal that would place him among the top-five highest-paid receivers in the league, a source told ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo declined to comment on the trade rumors Tuesday, stating he learned from Bill Belichick not to discuss players on other teams, per NFL.com’s Eric Edholm. He also mentioned talking to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne after rumors suggested Bourne could be included in a package for Aiyuk.
Aiyuk reportedly requested a trade in July after he and the 49ers could not reach an agreement on an extension. Although he reported for training camp, he has not practiced.
Shanahan informed the media on Tuesday that there is still a possibility of Aiyuk signing an extension with the 49ers, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. A scenario in which Aiyuk stays with the team and plays out the final year of his rookie deal is also still possible, Reiss notes.
San Francisco has publicly expressed a desire to retain Aiyuk, despite briefly shopping him and Deebo Samuel during the 2024 NFL Draft before deciding to keep them.
“Brandon’s a great player, so it’s real hard to be better when you lose a great player,” Shanahan said when asked if the 49ers could improve without Aiyuk, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “Hopefully it’ll work out best for him and best for us in the long run.”
Aiyuk recorded a career-high 1,342 receiving yards on 75 catches last season.
