Pittsburg, PA
Brandon Aiyuk Declined Steelers Trade
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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The 24-year-old Skenes joins Rip
Noah Kahan is appropriating Will Toledo’s culture. The viral folk star’s eventful Great Divide tour happened to stop by Pittsburgh last night while the furry convention was in town, and he was for some reason very excited about that, welcoming the furries and even trying on the head of an audience member’s furry costume.
“Pittsburgh: if you are caught between attending the worlds largest furry convention or my show tonight then please know you are welcome to combine the two,” Kahan wrote on X before the show. Responding to a poster who asked what his fursona would be, he posted “Squid man.”
“Furries are welcome. All the animal kingdom is welcome tonight,” Kahan then said onstage at PNC Park. “I don’t see any so far but I will be looking and asking a lot of questions after the show.” At the prop payphone booth that’s been a part of his show setup, he took a phone call from the “National Center For Furry Awareness” and learned furries do not necessarily have sex in their suits.
“The National Center For Furry Awareness? Oh, they don’t have sex… not necessarily? Okay, well that’s good to know.”
“If there are any furries in the crowd, say, ‘Hell yeah,’” he added to a mostly furryless crowd. Watch below.
Ohio black bears
A third sighting of 2026 confirms black bears are back for good in Ohio.
If you see a black bear near Pittsburgh, give it space, and don’t let your pet bother it.
That’s the advice Allegheny County’s parks department gave locals after a bear was spotted in a lake north of Pittsburgh, with the department issuing a warning in partnership with Allegheny County Police Department on June 16.
Here’s what to know about the bear sighting and bears around the Pittsburgh area.
When, where was black bear spotted near Pittsburgh?
A black bear was spotted in North Park Lake in McCandless Township in Allegheny County just north of Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County Parks didn’t say when the bear was seen, but they posted about the sighting on Facebook on June 16, saying the Pennsylvania Game Commission had been notified and was monitoring the situation.
What should you do if you spot a black bear in Pittsburgh area?
After a black bear was spotted in North Park Lake, Allegheny County Parks and Allegheny County Police Department put out a joint statement warning residents not to bother bears.
If you see a bear, you should use caution and give it “plenty of space,” according to the county parks department. Don’t approach it, and don’t try to interact with it. If you have a pet with you, keep them controlled on a leash.
“The best thing you can do is view wildlife from a safe distance and allow it to move through the area undisturbed,” the parks department said.
The state also bans residents from feeding bears.
How common are black bears in Pittsburgh area?
Bears inhabit forested areas across more than three-quarters of Pennsylvania, though they’ve been spotted in every county, according to the state game commission. The bears seen in large urban centers and agricultural areas, like the southeastern corners of the state and parts of the western border, are generally transient, as those areas don’t have enough woods to create a good habitat.
The population of bears statewide is estimated to be about 19,000 and is managed through regulated hunting to reduce the risk of more frequent human-bear conflicts. Hunters harvested 2,873 black bears in 2026, with Tioga County reporting the most harvests. Allegheny did not rank among the counties with the top 10 most bears harvested.
Black bears are also not uncommon across the border in Ohio. The state set a record with more than 500 sightings in 2025, according to a report from the Ohio Department of National Resources, with the department finding “consistent evidence” that female black bears live in the northeast corner of the state.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
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