Mike Tomlin sparks interest in Steelers’ Brandon Aiyuk; Latest on team’s extension offer

A Brandon Aiyuk-in Pittsburgh may still end up happening, but such a move continues to go in the wrong direction for the The Steelers. Several factors contributed to this latest development of Aiyuk.

THE 49ers The Steelers are considered to have a slight edge over the Steelers in signing the fifth-year receiver this offseason. It turns out that the teams’ extension offers are considered relatively similar. While we don’t know the specifics regarding the contract structure or guarantees, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes that the Steelers offered a contract with an AAV under $28 million.

We heard earlier this month that the Steelers disappointed Aiyuk with their extension offer and failed to impress the 49ers with their trade proposal. A previous report also had that proposal in the neighborhood of $28 million per year, but a deal south of that point would put Aiyuk no higher than seventh among receivers. That AAV would fall behind Jaylen Waddlethe Dolphins’ recent extension and around where the Bears have gone for DJ Moore ($27.5 million per year).

But the 49ers and Steelers still appear to have agreed on compensation — as a fallback option for the NFC West team, it seems. For now, a trade seems the least likely scenario. With the Steelers’ extension offer “in the exact same ballpark” as the 49ers’, the second-team All-Pro has returned to the negotiating table with his current team, Breer adds.

That has allowed for some progress between the 49ers and their top outside receiver. Aiyuk recently met with 49ers management again, attended position meetings and watched workouts — amid a now-lengthy waiting period — while that matter remains unresolved. But the 49ers are believed to have increased their offer. The sides may also have the bulk of the deal done, with only the issues of the past year holding up the deal. It would appear the sides are close, but this saga has dragged on for months and has brought multiple trade contenders into the mix.

Aiyuk, however, didn’t want to be traded to New England or Cleveland. The Patriots offered him a contract extension that was bigger than either the Steelers or the 49ers. San Francisco’s summer offer was in the $26 million to $27 million per year range. Why, exactly, would Aiyuk prefer the Steelers to the Browns? Breer adds Mike TomlinThe presence of served as a strong argument here.

This is certainly a notable nugget, as the Steelers have not surpassed the 49ers in terms of offensive system or team success in recent years. Tomlin remains one of the most respected figures in the game, having never finished a season below .500. Pittsburgh recently handed its 18-year-old HC another extension.

The Steelers, of course, haven’t won a playoff game since 2016 and have struggled to form a cohesive offense since Antonio BrownPittsburgh’s 2019 outing. Pittsburgh has ranked 23rd or lower in total offense in each of the last five seasons, ranking among the top 20 in scoring offenses just once — Ben Roethlisbergerthe penultimate campaign of 2020 — in this period. They are counting on one or the other Russell Wilson Or Justin Fields to provide an upgrade on failure Kenny Pickett investment.

Aiyuk, 26, would obviously help the Steelers in that regard. But the fact that the team isn’t including any players in the trade has hurt its chances of getting the talented receiver. The 49ers never really wanted to trade Aiyuk, with John Lynch The team has been saying this for months – most recently last week – and they want the 2020 first-round pick to stick around for the long haul.

San Francisco attempted to work out a trade deal that would replace Aiyuk immediately, with Cleveland offering Amari Cooper. Aiyuk canceled that deal. In the absence of the Steelers, including George Pickens In a trade, they don’t have any players like that to get rid of. It would be interesting to see who the 49ers have asked for on the Steelers’ roster outside of receiver, but so far, the AFC North club isn’t including any players in its offer.

This months-long saga will find its conclusion before the season begins. Will Aiyuk be willing to give up $831,000 in game checks? The 49ers can waive his training camp fines, though, and the atmosphere here — and the team that does it for Nick Bosa Last year, that could happen if Aiyuk reported before the first week. But the two sides continue to haggle. The wait persists in one of the most frequently updated negotiations in recent memory.