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The 49ers were so close to trading Brandon Aiyuk last year.
At the last minute, Brandon Aiyuk agreed to the 49ers offer, and Kyle Shanahan literally ran into the front office to stop John Lynch from trading Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Which means Lynch almost made one of the best trades in 49ers franchise history.
Instead, the 49ers gave Aiyuk a four-year, $120 million contract extension, he struggled for 7 games and then tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus. Now, he has the seventh-worst contract in the NFL according to Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox.
"Missed time aside, the deal wasn't great for San Francisco," writes Knox. "The 49ers were pressured into offering it by Aiyuk's offseason holdout and trade request, but there's no getting around the fact that the 49ers overpaid.
"Aiyuk had flashed high-end potential in his first four seasons. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2022 and had 1,342 receiving yards in 2023. However, he had yet to establish himself as a top-tier receiver or a perennial Pro Bowler.
"Desperate to hang onto its playoff-caliber core, San Francisco gave AIyuk a massive four-year deal that still has him as the league's eighth-highest-paid receiver in terms of annual salary.
"With all due respect to Auyuk, he's not the NFL's eighth-best wideout. He showed that by failing to live up to his contract, when healthy, this past season. Aiyuk had just 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games.
"Making this deal even worse is the fact that the 49ers don't have a clean out until 2027, when they can eat $21.2 million in dead money to save $20.2 million in cap space."
Whether or not the 49ers have a clean out, I have a feeling the 49ers will find a way to move Aiyuk next year. Because it seems like their relationship with him is completely broken and there's nothing they can do to fix it. Plus his contract is horrendous. They'll do whatever it takes to move it.
More must-reads:
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Steelers Insider Reveals Timeline for WR Move
The Pittsburgh Steelers could have a wide receiver move on the horizon. On the latest episode of the "Kaboly + Mack" podcast, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly stated that he wouldn't be surprised if the team were to add a receiver to their roster in the near future. "I don't think any time within the next week, but something might be coming down the pike here," Kaboly said. "I'll put it this way: I would not be shocked within the next 10 to 12 days that they add a receiver. I was under the impression that they're just gonna play it out like they are right now. 'We have [Roman] Wilson, [Calvin] Austin, we're going with that'. I was pretty much sure of that. I don't know if I'm as sure of that anymore." Adding depth at receiver has remained a focus for Pittsburgh throughout the entire offseason. It landed its new No. 1 option in DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks just ahead of free agency and later traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, but the organization has done little outside of that to address the position. While signing Robert Woods to a one-year deal brings a veteran presence to the room, he's also 33-years-old and recorded just 203 yards over 15 games with the Houston Texans last season. The Steelers are hoping for a bounce-back sophomore campaign from Wilson after playing just five snaps during his rookie season, and while he performed well in the team's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend, he still has more to prove moving forward. Austin was a key piece of Pittsburgh's offense last year and is slated to remain the team's primary slot receiver, but he's also currently dealing with a minor abdominal muscle injury and missed significant time towards the end of training camp. Tight end Jonnu Smith could essentially operate as a receiver for the Steelers due to his versatility and receiving prowess, but they could certainly use depth beyond him. With the deadline for final rosters cut set for 4 p.m. EST on August 26, Pittsburgh should have some enticing receiver options come available over the next two weeks or so alongside the veterans already residing on the free agent market.
Ottawa Senators Predicted to Land Penguins Star
The NHL offseason has slowed down a bit, but there are still moves to be made from a few teams. Every year, there are late offseason moves that tend to heavily impact the playoff race. One team that could still add is the Ottawa Senators, since they still need another piece for the upcoming season. Ottawa has been linked to a few players this summer, with the front office discussing different deals. The Senators were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Pittsburgh Penguins star Rickard Rakell by NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report. Ottawa could be a solid place for Rakell if the Penguins do trade him. "The Senators finally played their way back into a playoff spot in 2024-25, earning their first trip to the postseason since their 2016-17 Eastern Conference Finals run. "The big hang-up might be Ottawa's lack of a first-round pick in 2026 and a weak farm system that is lacking in top prospects. From a hockey standpoint, the Senators are a good match for Rakell. Logistically, they may not have the assets the Penguins would want," wrote Gretz. Rakell could help boost the Senators' offense, helping the team become even more formidable in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa made a surprising playoff appearance last season, and the team should be going all-in to go after a Stanley Cup title. The Penguins star put up 35 goals and 35 assists last season for Pittsburgh, and he could massively boost this team. Nobody on the Senators came close to these totals, so this could be a real difference-maker of a trade. Ottawa is finally back to being relevant in the East, and the front office has wanted to keep adding pieces. Bringing Rakell to town could be the answer, especially with the Penguins reportedly acting as sellers this offseason.
Veteran Center Rejected Knicks Offer
The New York Knicks imagine themselves as a championship contender, and those dreams looked like they may be rapidly approaching reality in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They've spent much of this offseason patching holes in their roster, requiring significantly more firepower from their bench to scare their opponents with a well-rounded rotation that they lacked in 2024-25. They're not looking to burst at the seams with reserve bucket-getters, but have done plenty to consolidate their backup guards and bigs with a summer of moves that's still continuing. Though their most recent on-court developments have provided the Knicks' hopes with real wind behind their sails, those wishes to bolster the frontcourt aren't new. New York reportedly tried to woo a veteran center in Daniel Theis over to last season's situation, but failed to seal the deal. Theis, now playing for AS Monaco, could have joined the Knicks mid-season last year before opting for a European return, according to BasketNews.com. He spent the first leg of the 2024-25 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, the sixth team that the 33-year-old's suited up for in the last five seasons. New York's offer gave Theis yet another chance to fill in as a role-playing big on another contender, but he chose to bet on himself. "I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury," Theis said on a recent Euro Insiders podcast. "And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, 'Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can't play and this and that.' It's like what I did with P.J. Tucker. "For me, it was like, 'Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?' So if I’m like, 'Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.' That was my whole intention and thought behind it — just consider Europe and see what it is." Robinson did indeed manage to remain healthy when it counted, seeing the floor in all 18 Knicks playoff games after playing in just 17 during the regular season. His reliability as a defender and rebounder up front would have negated Theis' presence, as he would have spent all but a few garbage time minutes occupying the same seat on the bench that Tucker took in the postseason. Though he would've likely been constrained to a minimum contract that would've expired at season's end alongside other role playing veterans like Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa, he'd have been a little more playable than some other deep-cut Knicks as a rim-rolling center, and that's the sort of job that New York's looked to fill in the months since. Theis chose his path, and the Knicks stayed young in building a roster that's expected to blow every other 21st century Knicks team out of the water.
Steelers' rookie and a team captain highlight group of players with a downward trajectory to end training camp in Latrobe
2025 training camp has come to an end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the team ended in a spot other teams dreamed of on the health front. With two games in the preseason left and a big test on Thursday, there is still a lot of work to be done before the season kicks off. But with the team's time in Latrobe coming to an end, now feels like a good time to take stock of who's up and down, with today's piece focusing on the latter... RB Kaleb Johnson As much as you hate to say it, Kaleb Johnson simply didn't have a great camp and has started off slow in the preseason. When the pads came on, he was a bit overwhelmed by the intensity of things, getting bulldozed in Backs on Backers and fumbling in 11-on-11, all on day one. Fast forward to last week's preseason game, and Johnson rushed for a mere 2.5 yards per carry, had multiple drops, but more importantly, just looked robotic and out of sorts all night long. Personally, this doesn't change my opinion on Johnson. I still believe he has a shot to unseat Jaylen Warren from his starting role, sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving. This is merely camp and now the preseason. We have enough precedent to prove that this time of year is often fool's gold or overreaction season. Remember when Kenny Pickett and the Steelers' offense looked like the best in the league back in August of 2023? Yeah, me too. So Johnson needs to step up, and his camp wasn't great, but the rookie just teed off on 18 holes. WR Calvin Austin III The fourth-year WR headed into training camp as the Steelers' WR No.2, and he may retain that role when the smoke clears, but Austin hasn't practiced since August 1st. Friday Night Lights in Latrobe, nearly two weeks ago, was the last time he suited up. That has the Steelers brass a little leery. We are already hearing buzz of them either signing or trading for another WR. On top of that, Roman Wilson started to form an excellent rapport with Rodgers in Austin's absence, and three rookie UDFA WRs have been lights out. Cam Heyward Unlike the others on this list, Heyward played very little in Latrobe. And that was precisely the problem. When it became clear that Heyward's lack of participation was due to a contract dispute, many in the fanbase turned against him. But whatever side you're on (player or team, and I'm pro player), having your team captain and a key face of the franchise serving as a distraction instead of preparing for a season where the team is supposed to be "all-in," is never a good look. Want more Steelers news? Answer our poll question and sign up for our weekly newsletter!
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