The Pittsburgh Steelers have been waiting on an answer from the San Francisco 49ers as they continue to pursue a trade for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. However, the Steelers may have gotten a bad sign for their hopes of landing him on Wednesday.
According to Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn, Aiyuk was spotted at Niners practice on Wednesday and was sporting a team shirt. The Athletic's David Lombardi added that Aiyuk spent time on the sideline for part of the practice but did not participate.
This was the first time the Niners wide receiver has been spotted at a practice since July 31, when he enthusiastically greeted head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, which led many to believe Aiyuk had signed a new deal.
However, that was clearly not the case, as the saga involving Aiyuk and the Niners has dragged on for another two weeks since then.
49ers practice is over. Brandon Aiyuk was on the sideline for part of it — first time on the field since the handshake/hug day. Offense started off sloppy and then finished strong in red-zone work
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 14, 2024
The last we heard, the Steelers and Niners had an unfinalized trade in place for Aiyuk, and Pittsburgh was in a good place in terms of their contract offer for the wide receiver, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. But he also reported that the Niners had their own contract offer on the table for Aiyuk, with the hope that he would accept it and stay.
Aiyuk being out there for practice could mean nothing, or it could be a sign that he and San Fran are close to a new deal, or have gotten it done. We'll just have to wait and see, but for now, Aiyuk's presence on the field on Wednesday is not a great sign for Pittsburgh.