In 2023, Brandon Aiyuk had an incredibly successful campaign. For Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers, he produced impressive stats.
In actuality, his performance was crucial in granting the team the bye, which ultimately led to their Super Bowl victory. Given his production, it is obvious that the wide receiver already wants to get paid.
It appears that he is expediting the process by sending a humorous tweet to Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“@CoachTomlin they saying we twins. What you think?” the 49ers wide receiver wrote.
Surprisingly, the two of them have a lot of facial features in common. They would be nearly identical if Brandon Aiyuk had shorter hair and Coach Mike Tomlin had longer hair.
Now, this tweet from the 49ers star to the Steelers general manager might just be lighthearted banter. Why would Aiyuk want to go, after all, when Kyle Shanahan has consistently shown he can lead the team to a Super Bowl? That may not be the problem, though, given that rumors of a trade are spreading across the league.
Aiyuk’s current contract is still valid for another year. However, his career year indicates that he should be paid far more.
According to some estimates, he will sign a four-year contract worth a whooping $96 million. The Steelers may be able to reallocate some assets to free up room for Aiyuk.
They will require more weapons than simply George Pickens to handle the ball, as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are the ones throwing it.
For the Steelers, what’s in it?
Aiyuk helps a young gun like Pickens in large measure because of his expertise. No wide receiver in the Steelers system has ever made as many deep runs as he has during the playoffs.
He is more than just an intangible; he can produce impressive results. He recorded 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on just 75 receptions.
Additionally, Aiyuk has increased his range from deep. His average yardage per catch from the previous season was 17.9, about five yards greater than he had in 2022.
Few athletes can claim a more impressive résumé than Aiyuk. Do the Steelers intend to make a deal to get him?
