The Pittsburgh Steelers' reported pursuit of a trade for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has a few moving parts to it before it can be completed. First, there's satisfying what the 49ers want in the trade, and then Aiyuk and the Steelers have to agree on a contract.
It remains to be seen if the Steelers can ultimately seal the deal, but Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer has revealed the contract Pittsburgh is ready to give Aiyuk
Breer says the Steelers' contract offer "was around $28 million" per year, which is in the area of what other receivers have gotten this offseason.
The Steelers’ offer was around $28 million per year that several other receivers (DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown) got this offseason. They’re stable, with a Super Bowl-winning head coach, but haven’t won at the level the Niners have of late, and don’t have geographic appeal, either.
If Aiyuk ends up with a deal that pays him $28 million per year, that would rank tied for the sixth-highest AAV in the NFL at the position with Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, per Over the Cap.
As far as what the 49ers want from the Steelers in a trade is concerned, NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco recently reported that San Fran wants a second- and third-round pick. He added that the Steelers have been unwilling to meet that asking price.
Aiyuk has publicly expressed a desire to play for the Steelers. And as much as they might want Aiyuk, they have been unwilling to provide the 49ers with their asking price of draft picks that include second- and third-round selections, according to a source.
Things have been quiet on the Steelers-49ers-Aiyuk front the past few days, so it's anyone's guess what direction this situation is headed. And, with the start of the season still weeks away, we may not have a resolution anytime soon.