Latest Brandon Aiyuk rumors could be blessing and curse for Steelers

The San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk no longer seem likely to reach a deal, as the market for his services blew up the minute Justin Jefferson signed a record extension. Aiyuk won't demand as much as Jefferson, but the 49ers have a similar problem to the Cowboys and CeeDee Lamb -- if they pay Aiyuk, they'll have limited funds to fill out the rest of their roster.

So, a trade of Aiyuk now appears more likely than ever before, as opined by Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area over the weekend. However, San Francisco would be unwise to merely dump Aiyuk for draft picks, as it would leave a large void in their wide receiver room, even with Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. Recent buzz around the league suggests the 49ers would prefer to receive another veteran wideout in return, along with picks.

Steelers chances at landing Brandon Aiyuk just went way down

Such a deal would all but eliminate the Pittsburgh Steelers, long considered one of the favorites to land Aiyuk. Pittsburgh traded away Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers earlier this offseason. He would've been an ideal fit in this theoretical move for Aiyuk. No, unless the Steelers send George Pickens to the Bay Area, they'll have to hope the 49ers merely want draft capital in return for their star wideout.

Perhaps even worse for the Steelers are two teams now reportedly in on Aiyuk, the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, per Cam Marino of NFLDraftBuzz. The Patriots are modest rivals, but in the midst of a rebuild with a rookie quarterback. Pittsburgh could live with Aiyuk in Foxboro. The more concerning fit would be if San Francisco trades Aiyuk within the Steelers division, and worse to one of their biggest rivals in Cleveland.

One way for the Browns to one-up Pittsburgh's offer and secure Aiyuk's services would be to include Amari Cooper in said trade, thus giving San Francisco a cheaper replacement on an expiring deal. A Deshaun Watson-Aiyuk pairing could revive the former's career and undoubtedly come back to haunt the Steelers.