PITTSBURGH — The hottest rumor regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers all offseason was their pursuit of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. They reportedly agreed on a deal during the 2024 NFL Draft, but nothing materialized. Months later, the Steelers continued trying. But after months of effort, the hunt for Aiyuk officially ended when he signed a four-year, $120 million contract to remain with the San Francisco 49ers.

But according to NFL insider Jay Glazer, the Steelers were moments away from acquiring the receiver in a trade. With the 49ers and Aiyuk in a contract stalemate, the team reportedly decided to trade their star pass-catcher to Pittsburgh. Speaking on Fox Sports: NFL, Glazer gave his inside scoop.

“The day it (the contract extension) got done, the 49ers were trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers,” he said. “And then all of a sudden Brandon Aiyuk happened to show up early to the facility that day.”

According to Glazer, Aiyuk arrived at the team’s facilities to speak to his head coach Kyle Shanahan. After speaking with him, Shanahan tried to reach the team’s front office, who were in the middle of finalizing a deal that would send Aiyuk to the Steelers. The 49ers reportedly put the trade talks on hold once more and gave their receiver a final ultimatum.

“We’re either trading you to Pittsburgh today, or you can take the deal that’s on the table. It’s up to you but you have ’til the end of practice,” they told Aiyuk.

Ultimately, Aiyuk committed to San Francisco and remaining with the 49ers. He signed a huge deal, earning himself an annual salary of $30 million.

Aiyuk has steadily improved since arriving in the NFL and posted his best statistical season in 2023. He hauled in 75 receptions for an astounding 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns while becoming QB Brock Purdy’s favorite target. The year prior he had 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns. Over four seasons and 62 games played, he’s amassed 269 receptions for 3,931 yards

Aiyuk was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers 25th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Coming out of Arizona State University, the book on him was straightforward: get him the ball and he would make something happen. At 26 years old, he’s made good on the scouting report, establishing himself as a top playmaking receiver in the league.

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