Brandon Aiyuk has been a key name on the rumor mill for a while now. Back in 2024, trade chatter swirled around him, with the Steelers even getting linked to a potential move. But after some holdout talks, Aiyuk stayed with the 49ers, signing a lucrative four-year, $120M extension. But the plot thickened. The WR suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the week 7 game against the Chiefs. And just like that, the trade rumors were back at the table.
The 49ers reportedly considered a potential trade for him. Once again. The reason? His uncertainty to return in the 2025 season, following his injury. However, amidst all the trade rumors and drama, the Niners unofficially locked him when they paid him his roster bonus last month, securing his future for a couple of years in San Francisco. The kicker?
Well, just when we thought Aiyuk was settled in San Francisco, the Niners made another move. A big move when they offered a four-year $76.4 million contract extension to George Kittle. But now, with all these financial commitments, and Aiyuk’s uncertainty to return, questions are rising: could Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers be looking to move Aiyuk to ease their salary cap situation?
That’s where Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk comes in. On Wednesday, Florio stopped by Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan and discussed a potential trade involving the Steelers and Aiyuk. Yes. The Steelers again. “The 49ers would love to unload Brandon Aiyuk’s contract. They would love to,” Florio noted. “He’s got two fully guaranteed years, this year and next year, and he’s coming off of a torn ACL.”
Mike Florio: The 49ers would love to unload Brandon Aiyuk’s contract on the Pittsburgh Steelers after the George Pickens trade.
The Steelers were very interested in Aiyuk last offseason and Aiyuk was interested in going there.
Full reaction and video: https://t.co/NHeBvyBl8N… pic.twitter.com/xX2k9qT8pP
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) May 7, 2025
Well, Aiyuk has already received a $22.85 million guaranteed salary for this year, and he’s set to receive another $24.9 million next year as well. And considering the Steelers have already traded George Pickens to the Cowboys, it’s likely the 49ers could trade Aiyuk to Pittsburgh. Sure, it’s not official yet. But see it this way: last year, the Steelers had Pickens and were in the same situation to find a WR2.
Fast forward to now—Pickens is gone, DK Metcalf’s the new WR1, and the Steelers suddenly have a pretty big hole at WR2. Sure, they could kick the tires on free agents like Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, or Gabe Davis. But honestly? Brandon Aiyuk feels like the move. He’s younger, under contract for a couple more years, and you know exactly what you’re getting. It just makes too much sense.
To make it spicier, Aiyuk has no guaranteed income in the final year of his contract. And that means just one thing: if he plays well, the Steelers could extend or restructure his contract. And if he doesn’t pan out or gets injured? Well, y’all know what would happen then. Long story short: while it’s not confirmed if the 49ers are seeking a trade for Aiyuk. But if they are, then the Steelers could be an option.
And in exchange for the Niners? Well, we can just say the team would surely look for a potential exchange. After all, Brandon Aiyuk is so valuable to the team. But that’s not the only thing the Niners have to tackle. Oh no. They still have to address Brock Purdy’s contract.
Are the 49ers to finalize an extension for Brock Purdy soon?
The 49ers and Brock Purdy’s contract extension negotiations feel like Netflix dropping an eight-episode season after a long gap of two years. Everyone’s guessing, predicting, and sharing some wild conspiracy theories. One of ’em was the trade rumors of Purdy to quarterback-needy teams. Like the Titans or the Giants. Of course, we’re talking about prior to the 2025 NFL draft.
But the draft is now officially in the books. The Titans got Cam Ward. The Giants got Jaxson Dart along with a couple of seasoned vets. With that being said, the attention now shifts to Purdy’s contract extension. At this point, it’s safe to say that the Niners are soon going to enhance Purdy’s contract. Why? Well, they surely drafted the quarterback Kurtis Rourke, but he’s suffering from a torn ACL and might redshirt his rookie season.
Plus, Purdy showed up to voluntary OTAs. So, how much is he going to stack up? Moe Moton of the Bleacher Report predicted that the 49ers could sign Purdy on a five-year extension. Contract terms? A fancy $270 million deal or $54 million per season. “In the NFL, most starting quarterbacks will get paid more than you expect because of the importance of the position,” Moton wrote.
“While you can argue Brock Purdy isn’t a top-10 QB who deserves more than $50 million annually, that salary benchmark might be the floor for negotiations between his agent and the San Francisco 49ers.” And for the time being, it’s likely Purdy would want $54 million per year. The reason? Well, the Dolphins are paying $53.1 million to their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, and Purdy is probably better than him.
On the flip side, the Niners might not offer him an over $55 million deal, because that’s how much Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence are making. Long story short: with the NFL draft done and dusted, the contract extension for Brock Purdy is not at the table. Plain and simple.
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