49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk could have trade 'preference' for this team

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday night that "the New England Patriots have decided not to explore any further trade possibilities with the San Francisco 49ers regarding" wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

There's more information about why the Patriots have exited the Aiyuk sweepstakes.

Well-known NFL insider Josina Anderson reported late Wednesday morning that "there’s belief within the Patriots that Aiyuk’s 'preference' is to land with" the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Aiyuk was heavily linked with the Steelers before the 2024 NFL Draft and is still looking to sign a lucrative contract extension while in the final year of his rookie deal. Pittsburgh is currently on track to enter this season with 2022 second-round draft pick George Pickens as the club's top receiver.

There was no indication as of Wednesday afternoon that Aiyuk was all that close to getting his alleged desired move to the Steel City any time soon. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reported on Monday night that the Steelers had "declined to meet the 49ers' trade demands," and it was later said that Pittsburgh is not willing to "give up the world for" the 26-year-old.

The Patriots were had earlier been named as arguably "the most motivated team in the league to land Aiyuk" due to their need at the position. According to Anderson, New England was willing to give Aiyuk "in excess of $28.5M" per year via an extension. It appears the star wideout not all that eager to put pen to paper on a deal with a team that is in the middle of a multi-year rebuild.

Maiocco noted on Monday that the Patriots and Cleveland Browns had "negotiated the framework of trades" with the 49ers for Aiyuk's services. The fact that Aiyuk wasn't with the Browns as of 1:00 pm ET on Wednesday suggested those two sides hadn't come to terms on an extension for some reason.

Per Stephen Douglas of Sports Illustrated, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke with reporters on Wednesday morning and neither confirmed nor denied his team has spoken with the 49ers about Aiyuk. 

49ers reporter Tim Kawakami of The Athletic forwarded how the team could structure an Aiyuk agreement in a way that would make him happy while allowing the franchise to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive extension next offseason. Even if it's true that Aiyuk wants to join the Steelers sooner rather than later, the 49ers have him signed through 2024 and could retain his rights for 2025 via the franchise tag.

In short, the 49ers have no reason to lower their asking price for Aiyuk at this stage of the process and can simply wait the Steelers out. Maiocco thinks San Francisco is looking for a "veteran wide receiver and a package of draft picks" in return for Aiyuk.