Brandon Aiyuk agrees to extension with 49ers, ends Steelers trade saga

After months of speculation, Brandon Aiyuk finally made a decision regarding his future. He and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed on a four-year, $120 million extension to keep the star receiver in the building as they chase a Super Bowl title.

It seemed unlikely for much of the offseason that it would end up happening, but ultimately the two sides were able to work things out before the start of the season.

The Steelers were at the forefront of trade rumors throughout training camp, with reports at times making it seem like it was only a matter of time before a deal would happen. Aiyuk made it look like he wanted to be a Steeler through cryptic messages, podcast appearances, and his praise of Mike Tomlin. As recently as last week, comments by NFL reporters indicated that a trade could still happen.

Instead, he will continue to be Brock Purdy's top target for the 49ers high-powered offense for years to come.

Now that this saga is finally over, the Steelers have a huge hole at receiver that won't be filled by Aiyuk. George Pickens is an ascending player, but the players around him are either unproven or veterans with low ceilings. We may not find out for sure what the best package that Omar Khan offered for him is, but will not be willing to pay his asking price come back to haunt them?

Steelers would be much better with Brandon Aiyuk, but the price had to be right

There is no doubt that Aiyuk choosing to sign his extension with the 49ers is a blow to the Steelers. The front office clearly had a vision of pairing Pickens and Aiyuk together in Arthur Smith's offense, and now they will rely on mediocre veterans and young, unproven talents instead. Despite the disappointment, whether this was truly a mistake depends on how much it would have cost to make this deal happen.

Most reports published during the trade speculation set the price at a second-round pick, a starting caliber player, and some late-round picks thrown in. That doesn't include the over $100 million you would then have to pay on a new contract. If that was the asking price that the Steelers wouldn't meet, I understand hesitating if you are Omar Khan.

The Steelers have just started to find core pieces through the draft, many of which have been selected using day two and three selections. Giving up several picks while also needing to part with a starting player is a tough pill to swallow. They also reportedly offered Aiyuk less money than he wanted when discussing a potential extension, something that likely was the death blow to a potential trade.

Overall, I imagine many fans of both teams are just happy to have an answer to where he will be playing. Both teams and fanbases can now look forward to the season instead of waiting for the news to finally drop.