They looked under rocks on top of shelves, out west and up north. No veteran receiver was out of bounds for media speculation, and nearly every reasonable trade target was matched with the Steelers . No star garnered more attention, nor came as close to a deal, as San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk wanted a raise and San Francisco wasn’t eager to give it to him, but in the end, general manager John Lynch caved. Four years and $120 million later, his future seemed to be certain.
However, at the NFL Scouting Combine, the 49ers revealed an update on the Steelers’ former trade target.
According to Dianni Russini, San Francisco has been asked about the star.
“Brandon Aiyuk is a player that a lot of teams had interest in before he signed that deal last year, remember he signed that four-year, $120 million deal? There’s some teams poking around now to see if the 49ers would be willing to deal Brandon Aiyuk,” Russini said.
Despite the hype, Aiyuk’s season did not go as planned.
He played in just seven games before a torn ACL ended his 2024 campaign early. In the half-season he did play, his production plummeted. Aiyuk found just 25 catches and 374 yards. He did not score a touchdown.
However, San Francisco is going to have trouble finding cap space in the coming years, and quarterback Brock Purdy approaching a monster deal won’t make that any easier. At some point the 49ers are going to have to make some tough decisions.
“That typically happens with really good players,” Lynch said. “I remember two years ago having similar conversations. You get calls, and you always listen to calls. Since Kyle (Shanahan) and I have been here, we’ve been the No. 2 cash-spending team. In the last four years, we’re the fourth-highest cash-spending team. So, at some point, you have to reset a little bit or at least recalibrate. You can’t just keep pressing the pedal.”
If Aiyuk is traded, it will likely be after June 1, when San Francisco can reap real cap benefits. That would cost San Francisco $4.6 million in dead money for 2025, which is also the last year of guaranteed money on his deal. The team would save $6.15 million in 2025 before saving $11.6 million, $37.7 million, and $39.6 million over the next three years (per Over the Cap).
The nature of trades in the NFL suggests that none should be considered likely until your favorite insider is confirming it, but Pittsburgh is a good fit for a deal that’s surprisingly movable, making Aiyuk a name to watch as the calendar turns to June
