Reason Brandon Aiyuk rejected Patriots trade makes Steelers desire laughable
The last week has been filled with Brandon Aiyuk rumors and reports, some conflicting, as the 49ers were finally allowing the receiver to explore a trade with teams around the league. The Patriots were on the shortlist who had expressed interest in getting a deal done, which dominated the news cycle leading up to their first preseason game on Thursday.
It was reported that Eliot Wolf made a strong offer to Aiyuk, one that San Francisco agreed to, and that led to the framework of a trade to be drawn out. But they weren't the only team that were that far along in trade talks.
The Browns and Steelers were also said to be in the mix, both of which were teams that Aiyuk allegedly preferred. Despite that, the Patriots reportedly offered upwards of $32 million AAV on a 4-year extension contract and would send a 2025 second-round pick and possibly Kendrick Bourne in return.
Because of their cap space, they could offer Aiyuk the most money of all the teams hoping to negotiate a deal. This proved, once again, that the new regime was willing to do what it took to acquire the offensive talent it wanted, something that would likely not have happened under Bill Belichick.
But even with that substantial offer, Aiyuk was not interested in even considering the Patriots as a trade destination, ultimately forcing Wolf to back out and withdraw their offer.
It was a disappointing development in what looked like the perfect scenario to put the Patriots' offense over the top, something Wolf and Mayo had said early on in the offseason. And even though it wasn't a totally unexpected decision from Aiyuk, his reported reason for rejecting a New England trade makes their decision to move on even better.
Brandon Aiyuk didn't like the Patriots quarterback situation, but...?
There was a lot of speculation surrounding Aiyuk's choosing not to entertain the Patriots' offer, with most believing it came down to the money involved. Once that was quickly debunked, the chatter then turned to claiming New England is not a desirable destination for players now that Bill Belichick is out and the team is in a rebuilding phase.
While that might be true for many free agents, The Athletic revealing that Aiyuk didn't want to become a Patriot because he did "not believe the quarterback position is at the level he wants it to be at right now" wasn't shocking.
"Aiyuk did not want to go play for New England. He does not believe the quarterback position is at the level he wants it to be at right now." https://t.co/0zOIK2Gf2K
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) August 9, 2024
What did make it shocking, however, is the countless reports claiming Aiyuk's preference is to go to Pittsburgh, a team that has no real starting quarterback, as they are still trying to bring a washed up Russell Wilson back to life and see what they have in Justin Fields.
Going from a perennial Super Bowl favorite like the 49ers to a team with a rookie quarterback who might not even play this year is certainly a situation not many players would want to put themselves in, so that part is understandable from Aiyuk's point of view.
But the idea that a developing Drake Maye is less desirable than a 35-year-old quarterback who has looked horrific over the last two years and a fourth-year quarterback who was already traded from the team that drafted him in 2021 doesn't make much sense.
And maybe it's not meant to make sense, which seemed to match the latest reporting from Dianna Russini, who stated that the 49ers and Aiyuk had a long conversation on Friday and have reopened contract negotiations in hopes of reaching an agreement on an extension.
Perhaps this was all a ploy by both the team and the receiver to ultimately reach this result and stay together for the foreseeable future. If that's the case, then so be it, and it would make a lot more sense for Aiyuk to remain with the team that has the best chance of making the Super Bowl than trying to go to one of the others who were hoping to acquire him.