The last few days have been stressful being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. The amount of speculations and reports that Brandon Aiyuk is getting traded to the Steel City has been all over social media this week. While many believe the deal is very close to being done, Aiyuk's former college coach thinks a different outcome could arise.
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Brandon Aiyuk celebrating a catch against the Los Angeles Rams.
Former Arizona State University Head Coach Herm Edwards talked with the Morning Roast about the whole Aiyuk situation and if the San Francisco 49ers end up getting a deal done that keeps Aiyuk on the West Coast.
"Absolutely, This is business. And this what you tell every player when you're the head coach when a player is going through a contract negotiation. You always tell the player just watch what happens through these negotiations, if it gets into the news cycle, and you're going to have to deal with all that, but at the end of the day, that's the business part of things. It's not personal. It's just business."
Edwards knows Aiyuk very well, recruiting him from Sierra College. He knows how much Aiyuk enjoys winning and Edwards thinks staying in San Francisco is the place to win. While the Steelers revamped their offense with a brand new quarterback room and a new offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh's playoff success since 2016 has been nonexistent.
Associated Press
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk runs out of the tunnel prior to a San Francisco 49ers game.
In Aiyuk's four seasons with the San Francisco, he has played in three NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl last season, losing in overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs. So when Edwards was asked if Aiyuk wanted to stay with the 49ers, he was candid in his response.
"Absolutely, Brandon likes to win."
Ever since the Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson in March, they have been trying to find a receiver to fill his place. Pittsburgh did use a third round pick this past NFL Draft on Michigan receiver Roman Wilson and brought in veterans like Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, and Quez Watkins to see if one of them could take on the WR2 role. Now that Aiyuk requested a trade from the 49ers due to them not figuring out a new contract, the Steelers have jumped on the opportunity to add an All-Pro wide receiver to their roster.
While Edwards' confidence that Aiyuk and the 49ers could get a deal done, he does say that if both parties still can't find common ground, that San Francisco will have to move on. Aiyuk wants to benefit from this uprise in wide receiver contracts this offseason, like Justin Jefferson, DJ Moore, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and AJ Brown have already taken advantage of.
Aiyuk has been a consistent wide receiver for the 49ers, especially in the last two seasons. He is coming off back to back 1,000-yard seasons, with over 78 receptions in 2022 and 75 last season. He still has not had a season with double digit touchdowns, but when competing for targets with three other All-Pro talents, those opportunities are slim.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson allows a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of 2023 during a contest at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Will The Steelers Get A Deal Done For Aiyuk, Or Will He Stay In San Francisco?
The questions many Steelers fans have been asking the last few days is when will the deal get done? Could Edwards be right about Aiyuk truly wanting to stay in San Francisco and find a way to get a contract extension done with them? Many of the NFL experts and insiders are saying this is a "fluid situation," so a contract extension with the 49ers is not out of the picture. Aiyuk would be an instant game-changer to this Steelers offense, pairing him with the explosiveness of George Pickens, Jefferson, and returning threats in Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth.
What do yinz think about the Aiyuk to Pittsburgh situation? Let us know in the comments below.
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