Even after preseason ended, the Pittsburgh Steelers have still had to pay a lot of attention to the situation unfolding out on the West Coast. Brandon Aiyuk still has not made a decision yet as far as where he wants to play this season, and many reports have come out that he is not practicing as the San Francisco 49ers gear up for their Week 1 matchup on Monday Night Football in a little over a week. The situation has been beyond frustrating for all parties involved, as there is no certainty that Aiyuk will be active to begin the regular season, no matter which team he is on.
NBC Sports
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk talks to Head Coach Kyle Shanahan before a game.
While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, insider Ray Fittipaldo was once again asked about the Aiyuk situation, and he seems to be more hopeful about the situation than a large chunk of Steeler Nation is.
"There are some acquisitions that still could happen, like, you know, this Brandon Aiyuk thing seems to be coming to a conclusion. I don't know if it's going to be today, tomorrow, or the weekend, but listen; we're almost a week away from the 49ers opening their season, and it seems like they want to get something resolved there. It could be that that's the first domino, and then maybe we will see some other moves."
The 49ers have been very annoyed at the situation for a long time now, and with the 2024 regular season being just around the corner, these feelings are only heightened. There have been rumors about the Steelers playing the waiting game throughout the offseason, and if that's the case, then the Steelers may still get their man -- and maybe at a lower trade cost now too.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend.
Fittipaldo was also asked about the likelihood that Aiyuk does end up in Pittsburgh. He still seems to be confident that a trade will get done soon.
"It doesn't seem like [Brandon Aiyuk] wants to be in San Francisco: hasn't shown up for practice in the last two days, he didn't show up to a team function, a dinner... It seems like it's coming to a hedge. If I had to put a percentage on if it's going to happen -- you know the Steelers are pretty much the only team left standing -- so I would say at this point, 80/20 [percent chance] that this happens? I don't know a timetable on when it's going to happen, but it seems like it's almost -- I don't want to say 'inevitability,' but it certainly seems like things are in the Steelers' favor right now."
After being so close to getting a trade done, to not being the favorite anymore as the 49ers were so close to an extension, to the Cleveland Browns freeing up so much cap space, it seemed like the dreams of Aiyuk to Pittsburgh were dead. Instead, the Steelers could be back as frontrunners to land his services and finally end the offseason of confusion and setbacks. Hopefully, a decision will be made soon.
Scot Tucker / AP
49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (#11) tries to shake off a Los Angeles Chargers defender during a regular season home game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.
Could Steelers Have Aiyuk Ready For Week 1?
Because Aiyuk has not practiced at all during the offseason, he likely is not in football shape just yet. Training camp and preseason take over a month for a reason, and that is to make sure everyone is up to speed before the first game of the year. Aiyuk will still have a lot to work on, both in conditioning and in adapting to a new system before he can be the elite receiver that the Steelers are hoping to get. Only time will tell, but time is getting very short for both teams.
What do you think about the Steelers' chances of landing Aiyuk with a week to go before the regular season officially kicks off? Let us know in the comments.
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