San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk seems to be the principle web buzz on Tuesday relating to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their followers. Why? Properly, for starters, the excitement appears to be that the 49ers is perhaps desirous about buying and selling Aiyuk. On prime of that, the Steelers actually might stand to make use of a gifted and younger broad receiver on their roster proper now, even with this yr’s draft class being deep on the place. So, with all this buzz on Tuesday, let’s take a look at the plausibility associated to the Steelers probably buying and selling for Aiyuk.
First, why may the 49ers be desirous about buying and selling Aiyuk within the first place? Properly, for starters, he’s within the remaining yr of his rookie contract, and he needs to be paid now. The 49ers, nevertheless, may not be capable to accommodate him this offseason resulting from them already having paid a number of different prime gamers already on their roster. Gamers like WR Deebo Samuel, TE George Kittle, RB Christian McCaffrey, OT Trent Williams, ED Nick Bosa, and DT Javon Hargrave all have APYs of $15 million or extra proper now. It’s going to be robust for them to pay Aiyuk this offseason due to that.
Let’s assume that Aiyuk is certainly on the commerce market. Any staff that desires to commerce for him should first be capable to accommodate his $14.124 million cap cost in 2024. Can the Steelers do this proper now with out having to restructure or terminate any contracts of another gamers? In keeping with my numbers, sure, they’ll, however simply barely. Even when they wanted to restructure a contract, they may accomplish that with OLB Alex Highsmith and that will give them loads of cap house to afford Aiyuk.
Now, assuming the Steelers had been keen to commerce for Aiyuk, one would assume that the 49ers would enable them to speak to the broad receiver and his illustration forward of time to see if the 2 sides might work out a high-dollar contract extension. In spite of everything, Aiyuk needs a brand new deal this offseason and sure one which averages at the least $20 million per season, and that’s possible on the low facet. One other hangup with that may very well be absolutely assured cash. The Steelers usually don’t like to totally assure extra than simply the primary yr, so Aiyuk may need to be wonderful with that if he actually needs to go to the Steelers.
Aiyuk might have a hefty roster bonus put in place for March of 2025 that helps his money movement within the first 12 months. Whereas that possible wouldn’t be absolutely assured, one thing drastic would possible must occur for him to not obtain it. In brief, he could be just about assured the primary two years of his new deal, 2024 and 2025, regardless that it wouldn’t be absolutely assured in a standard sense.
An extension for Aiyuk also needs to convey his 2024 cap cost means down from $14.124 million, and that actually must be the byproduct of such a commerce and signal. Ideally, the Steelers may be capable to minimize that $14.124 million cap cost by about half as a part of a profitable contract extension.
Can such a deal be hammered out that will be good for each Aiyuk and the Steelers? I believe that’s a believable notion from the place I sit proper now. In brief, it’s not completely unthinkable, regardless that a commerce and profitable signal could be an enormous second in Steelers’ historical past. It will actually be an announcement by the Steelers and GM Omar Khan in the event that they did one thing like this. Khan, nevertheless, appears aggressive sufficient to make such a transfer based mostly on what we’ve seen out of him as far as the staff’s common supervisor.
Now, assuming that every one of this went down and Aiyuk wound up with a brand new cash common of $20 million or extra, it will technically make him the second highest-paid participant on the staff behind solely OLB T.J. Watt. That will be an enormous improvement relating to the Steelers and their historical past with coping with outsiders. Guidelines, traits, and streaks had been made to be damaged, nevertheless, proper?
Lastly, what would the compensation be for Aiyuk relating to buying him by way of a commerce? That’s actually arduous to say. If the 49ers are actually prepared to maneuver Aiyuk alongside, maybe they might take some kind of package deal that included a second or third spherical choice being the most important a part of the haul. A primary-round choice appears a bit too steep of a value for the Steelers to pay for Aiyuk, particularly if the 49ers actually wish to get him gone. That’s simply my opinion, nevertheless. Fairly truthfully, the commerce compensation factor is perhaps the toughest a part of the entire deal relating to the 49ers having the ability to commerce Aiyuk to any staff.
In closing, whereas there are a number of key components associated to a potential commerce of Aiyuk to the Steelers from the 49ers, it’s not like every of these couldn’t realistically be overcome. I do, nevertheless, consider that the Steelers would wish to hammer out an extension with Aiyuk and his facet earlier than buying and selling for him, because it makes lots of sense for them to try this.
Aiyuk simply turned 26 and in his first 4 seasons within the NFL he’s registered 269 receptions for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns. He’s a really bodily receiver as properly and thus would match properly with the Steelers in the event that they did finally commerce for him.
So, will this commerce finally occur? I clearly don’t know for certain. That mentioned, I can’t sit right here right now and inform you that it positively received’t. It’s believable and doable on the Steelers’ finish, however it will require them to interrupt just a few historic traits within the course of. For now, we are going to wait and see what occurs.