San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk remains the center of trade rumors, especially with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but one NFL Insider clarified it all.
“The notion that Aiyuk had requested a trade is not accurate,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday via Steelers Depot. “The notion that the Steelers had been the most aggressive is not accurate. My understanding is there was maybe a phone call weeks ago and the response was, ‘We’re not trading the guy.’ And that was that.”
Amid Aiyuk wanting a bigger contract and unfollowing the 49ers on social media, rumors swelled to a trade request on April 13, which Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, shot down on April 14. On the same day, Noah Strackbein of Sports Illustrated’s “All Steelers” reported that the Steelers “are in talks with the 49ers about an Aiyuk trade” via a team a source.
Despite that report, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that little has developed amid “receiver-needy teams” approaching the 49ers. Talking during “NFL Total Access” on April 15, Rapoport said “the 49ers have not entertained any of those talks” but noted inquiries will “persist” until Aiyuk has a deal.
“Now, I fully expect interested teams to re-engage as the draft approaches, especially with that report out there, I also believe there’s a chance that there’s been some conversation along the lines of, not that he’s asked for a trade, but looking for teams that might be interested in doing something,” Florio said on 93.7 The Fan.
Aiyuk has a fifth-year extension with the 49ers worth $14.12 million, which is less than his annual Spotrac market value of $24.9 million.
Brandon Aiyuk Linked With Steelers Before
Pittsburgh has been one of the most-frequently mentioned teams in Aiyuk trade rumors year, and his Mike Tomlin resemblance didn’t help.
Andrew Fillipponi of The Fan 93.7 reported in March that the Steelers “have looked into” Aiyuk. Amid the report, people made note of the resemblance between Aiyuk and Tomlin, the Steelers head coach. Aiyuk had fun with that on social media himself, which stirred the rumors all the more.
“I wake up and they’re talking about another team that they got me [linked] to trade talks or whatever,” Aiyuk said during “The NightCap” podcast on March 28.
“So I just said let me — if everyone is saying this, and, this and that — let me go ahead and just put out one of my little spots. I reverted back to Tomlin, we can have a little bit of fun with it,” Aiyuk added. “It’s all in fun, like I said we’re all professionals, it is what it is. But that’s where the Tomlin stuff came from.”
Brandon Aiyuk: ‘I’m Trying to Get What I Deserve’
While Aiyuk can poke fun at a random resemblance, he’s most serious about getting paid as much as he can in 2024.
“I’m trying to get what I deserve,” Aiyuk said on the podcast. “I feel like this season, this season playing football, I figured out who I was as a person and a player, what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization. And just the value I hold when I walk in that building.”
“People going to follow me because I’ve done it the right way since I’ve been in that building. From the first day I walked in there to when I was in there earlier this morning. I’ve done it the right way,” Aiyuk continued. “If they don’t see the worth in that [makes a walking motion with hands], that’s all it is. It ain’t nothing else besides that. I can’t get into it. We got professionals working on both sides, so hopefully, we can come to a professional agreement and continue playing professional football.”
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