The saga is over. San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension to remain with the 49ers, ending a months-long saga over his future. He will not become a Pittsburgh Steeler.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes the contract is front-loaded, pushing money towards the start of the deal rather than at the end. Rapoport added that Aiyuk will receive $47 million between now and April 1, 2025.
He has long been linked to the Steelers this offseason as they continue to sort out their No. 2 WR situation opposite George Pickens. It all started after the Super Bowl when social media posts suggested that Aiyuk was unhappy with his contract and role in the Super Bowl loss. Things heated up a little when Aiyuk tweeted directly at Mike Tomlin, then the rumors reached a boiling point when Aiyuk said he could see himself playing for the Steelers during The Pivot Podcast last month and soon after made an official trade request to the 49ers.
Aiyuk’s agent Ryan Williams shared this photo of the two all smiles after the deal was completed.
It became clear the 49ers were listening to offers for Aiyuk as the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Steelers were the most closely linked via various reports. The Steelers reportedly were not offering sufficient trade compensation to the 49ers which left things in a standstill throughout the month of August. It left Aiyuk going back to the 49ers to open extension talks, and a deal finally got done before the month ended.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Aiyuk inked the same deal that’s been on the table since August 10, with San Francisco not upping their offer over the last few weeks, however Aiyuk’s agent Ryan Williams disputed that report.
It sounds like this was very close to going the other way. The Steelers and 49ers reportedly had the framework of a deal done with a contract in place for Aiyuk, should San Francisco have decided to trade him. Pittsburgh waited by the phone the last two weeks for word. Today, they have it. No trade. Several sources have stated all along that Aiyuk preferred to stay with the 49ers.
Things came to a head yesterday when Aiyuk didn’t practice with the team despite the 49ers expectations he would. Aiyuk didn’t practice today but whatever that spurred was enough to get the Aiyuk and 49ers over the finish line.
The 49ers have been knocking on the door of a Super Bowl championship for years now, so it made sense that they had no intention of dealing Aiyuk. Even with a stacked receiving corps, getting rid of a top-10 receiver and a second-team All-Pro from last year would have hurt their chances of winning a Super Bowl. That is why GM John Lynch maintained all offseason that the intention was to sign him to a long-term deal.
With Aiyuk no longer an option, Pittsburgh may rely on the names currently on their 53-man roster. Beyond No. 1 receiver George Pickens, there’s Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, and rookie Roman Wilson. Wilson has missed nearly a month with an ankle injury, casting doubt on his ability to help the Steelers out of the gate. Though Khan and the team may keep searching, there isn’t any other option that would move the passing game needle as much as Aiyuk would have.
I, for one, am happy that this saga with Aiyuk—which lasted nearly five months—can be closed. He would have made the Steelers a better team this year, but the trade cost would have been high and the four-year, $120 million contract that he ended up signing would have been a large commitment for an external free agent. Especially since the Steelers have no quarterback plan set in stone beyond the 2024 season.
