The 49ers’ trade-or-extension saga with Brandon Aiyuk may be nearing an end, if anyone is willing to make a final call.
The team reportedly has an agreement in place with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a potential trade and is awaiting word back on an extension offer to Aiyuk, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Tuesday morning.
Aiyuk, who reported to training camp but has not practiced and didn’t travel with the team to Tennessee last weekend, received team permission to seek a trade in recent weeks. He has been tied to the Steelers in addition to the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, but Pittsburgh has become the focus this week.
The 49ers have been in an apparent holding pattern with Aiyuk as they seek to maximize their return in a potential trade sending out a key player in their run to last season’s Super Bowl or bring him back into the fold for another title push.
The Steelers have been “waiting for days” to hear from the 49ers on the possible deal, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported Tuesday.
Aiyuk, 26, was named a second-team All-Pro last season, the second of back-to-back 1,000-yard performances as he has developed strong on-field chemistry with quarterback Brock Purdy.
He is set to be paid $14.1 million this season on the fifth-year option tied to his rookie deal. An extension would likely pay him twice that much or more after Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions all signed deals this offseason above $30 million per season.
The 49ers have quite a cap sheet to juggle, though, after signing Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner and George Kittle to extensions in recent years. They also renegotiated Christian McCaffrey’s contract this offseason and have Brock Purdy’s potential extension looming on their books for next summer; meanwhile, all-world left tackle Trent Williams has not reported to camp, incurring more than $1 million in fines as he holds out for a bigger deal.