Brandon Aiyuk is finding out that the lucrative, top-of-the-market contract he seeks might not be out there.
Aside from the New England Patriots reportedly willing to offer Aiyuk over $30 million per season, it appears no team is willing to pay the star 49ers wide receiver the money he wants, including the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported in his MMQB column on Monday that the Steelers' contract offer to Aiyuk is close to what the 49ers are offering the 26-year-old.
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That likely explains why Aiyuk and the 49ers resumed their own contract talks in recent weeks.
"The Brandon Aiyuk situation drags on, and I don’t have a whole lot to add on it," Breer wrote. "The San Francisco 49ers’ star didn’t want to go to New England, which offered him more than $30 million per year in its proposals, or the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers’ price point was less than $28 million, which put Pittsburgh right in the neighborhood the Niners were inhabiting—with Mike Tomlin’s presence there the drawing card.
"That, in turn, pushed Aiyuk back to the table with the Niners."
NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported last Tuesday that Aiyuk and the 49ers had exchanged contract offers that were within range of each other, but one final hurdle remained to come to an agreement.
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Then on Friday, Garafolo pushed the storyline forward by reporting that the sides had agreed on details of the first three years of a proposed contract, but that Aiyuk wanted the 49ers to make an adjustment on the non-guaranteed final year of the contract.
Aiyuk, who is under contract for 2024 at $14.1 million, has been at 49ers practice in recent days, but hasn't participated in any workouts. He also has missed San Francisco's first two 2024 NFL preseason games and is unlikely to play in the exhibition finale, even if he were to sign early this week.
If the Steelers aren't offering considerably more than the 49ers, Aiyuk might have no choice but to ultimately return to San Francisco.