Brandon Aiyuk could force 49ers into interesting trade predicament with Steelers

Another day and the 49ers and Steelers are still in the midst of a complex trade negotiation for Brandon Aiyuk. The latest reports reveal that the main hurdle is the compensation the 49ers are seeking for Aiyuk, which includes a wide receiver in return. However, the Steelers are not willing to meet this demand. This impasse has put the 49ers in a challenging situation, largely due to Brandon Aiyuk's contract.

In a typical trade, a team would shop a player around until it found someone offering something comparable to what it was looking for. However, thanks to Brandon Aiyuk's contract, the 49ers can not do that. That's because Aiyuk has a trade veto in his contract.

The 49ers have three options in a trade with the Steelers

According to reports from Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots had palatable deals the 49ers would have taken. However, the Patriots suddenly removed themselves from the trade equation because Aiyuk had no desire to play for them. They might have then taken Cleveland's offer, but Aiyuk apparently nixed that deal, too, as he did not want to go to Cleveland.

When all is said and done, Aiyuk seems determined to play for only Mike Tomlin, leaving the 49ers in a bind. They know he's not coming back, given that they have been unable to hammer out an acceptable contract extension. Now, the 49ers can not send him to a team that offers them the best compensation in return. So, how does this get resolved?

Unless the Steelers quickly find a wide receiver they are willing to part with, they are not sending players to the 49ers in this deal. Hence, the 49ers only have a few options on the table then. They could insist on a number one draft choice from the Steelers; perhaps that's unlikely, but that might be a better alternative than giving up a wide receiver in the deal.

The second option is to take lesser compensation than they want. If they know they will not get what they want for Aiyuk, take the best offer the Steelers make and wash their hands of Aiyuk. It would be a comparative move to what the Bears did with Justin Fields.

The last option does have some traction in the form of online rumors. Whether it actually happens is another issue, but it has a chance. The Steelers could find another team willing to trade a wide receiver to plug a hole they have elsewhere. They would do a three-team trade and trade an offensive lineman to a team that needs one. That team would, in turn, trade a wide receiver to the 49ers.

Who this third team would be is unknown; suffice it to say it would not be Cleveland, New England, or Washington. However, you could perhaps see Dallas or Denver as potential participants in a three-way deal. However, that's pure speculation. However, one gets the feeling Omar Khan has at least reached out to some teams to gauge this option.

In this case, Brando Aiyuk is leveraging the 49ers. He is keeping them from trading for exactly the compensation they want. While it seems a trade will occur at some point, whether the 49ers get all they want is somewhat uncertain. What the trade will look like once completed and whether a third team will come into the fray is even more uncertain.

It's possible a trade could be done tomorrow; if not, it could take another week. However, hopefully, this gets finalized quickly. Both teams have more important things to focus on: the Branon Aiyuk media circus.