Brandon Aiyuk's Future with the 49ers and Steelers Explained

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00:00Let's take a look at another guy we're expected to factor into the plans for those same San

00:07Francisco 49ers.

00:08It's Brandon Ayuk.

00:09I want to ask you two questions.

00:10How have we gotten to this point with Brandon Ayuk and where is he going to wind up week

00:14number one?

00:15Donnie, let me give you the CliffsNotes version.

00:18It's one of the most bizarre stories that I've covered in years.

00:21So I could just tell you that, and I've put this on SportsGrid since the draft, Ayuk,

00:28and I know he later asked for a trade, but we'll explain that.

00:32He really doesn't want to play anywhere else.

00:36But if he had a preference, it would certainly be the Steelers.

00:38That's very, very clear.

00:40They want him, and if he can't get his deal done like he wants, there's been progress

00:44as I understand it, he would want to go to the Steelers.

00:48But what's happened here is the Niners were, Donnie, not budging off of what they wanted

00:53to pay him, which is a little bit above the deal that Devante Smith got with the Eagles,

00:58which I think with the way the Niners looked at it, for them, he's a number two.

01:04If you put him on the Steelers, he's, I mean, George Pickens is great.

01:08You can debate who the number one receiver would be.

01:11If you put Ayuk on Buffalo, he's clearly their number one receiver.

01:14But the problem is, Donnie, for the Niners, they can't justify paying him high-end starter

01:19money like A.J. Brown got, $32 million, or Justin Jefferson got $35 million.

01:23If it gets done, it should be around $29 to $30 million, around that Amon Roth-St.

01:27Brown deal, which he got around $30 million.

01:30That's again, if it gets done, and that's where we are.

01:33Ricky Pearsall, who would replace him if they were able to make that trade with Pittsburgh,

01:38unfortunately now he's done with his second injury, which is a shoulder issue.

01:42And they just don't have an adequate replacement right now.

01:45They know if they want to make the Super Bowl, which is, I've told people since May, you

01:48don't trade Ayuk.

01:49You don't trade your best players when you're trying to get back there.

01:52But they are where they are.