Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade for the 49ers. His other teammate might be a better fit for the Steelers.
Brandon Aiyuk has officially sought a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. Steelers fans, unsurprisingly, have their ears pricked up.
This trade request may not kill Aiyuk’s connection with the 49ers, but it does put a lot of pressure on having a contract extension worked out.
Things are foggy right now, but something similar happened with the 49ers in the past, resulting in an extension. We’ll see where things go, but San Francisco is in the midst of their most successful years of contention.
Not too many other teams have been surrounded by the Aiyuk trade rumors more this offseason than the Pittsburgh Steelers. It makes sense as they could use a talented receiver to join their team to help take pressure off of George Pickens. Aiyuk would do that, but his pricey contract that would be joined with his acquisition would create an uncertain future for Pickens in Pittsburgh.
Many are looking at Aiyuk as a realistic possibility for the Steelers to land in a blockbuster trade, but don’t forget other options that this situation could create opportunity for.
San Francisco has plenty of talent on their offense, and it seems like they could have to shed salary sooner or later. If they want to re-sign Aiyuk they might need to pick and choose which receivers, they can keep with their cap situation.
Deebo Samuel has been mentioned in trade rumors before, and it would make a lot of sense for the Steelers to look into him. Samuel signed a three-year contract deal in 2022, making him one of the highest-paid receivers in sports.
That contract would incur significant cap charges over the next two years, but it would keep the door open to extending Pickens. Samuel would earn more than 28 million this year, with a little more than 24 million in cap charges.
It might be critical for the Steelers if they wish to extend Pickens, who could command a large sum of money after finishing his rookie contract.
Samuel would cost more against the cap than Diontae Johnson for the next two seasons, but his contract expiring after 2025 could make him more enticing than Aiyuk’s predicted deal.
Deebo Samuel could fit in the offense better
Aiyuk is an explosive playmaker on offense. He has quickly become one of the best receivers in the NFL. It has caused Deebo Samuel’s role to change on the 49ers in recent years. Aiyuk would be a tremendous addition to the Steelers, but adding Samuel via trade might be the better fit. With the style of offense Arthur Smtih is trying to run, Samuel would be quality value.
Samuel has demonstrated the ability to play a physical style of football that would fit seamlessly into Smith’s attacking plan.
Adding Samuel by trade should not cost as much as Aiyuk. According to the numbers, Samuel’s output has decreased in recent years.
He hasn’t been as good a receiver as Aiyuk. Add in the fact that he still has a large cap charge for the next two seasons, and Samuel should not command as much in a trade with the 49ers.
Many believe that Aiyuk would cost a team a first-round selection to acquire. Samuel would not come close to that. If Pittsburgh wanted Samuel in a trade, it would most likely require a third-round pick or an exchange of draft picks.
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