49ers Rumors: Commanders Out on Brandon Aiyuk Trade, Contract; Steelers Reject Price

If the San Francisco 49ers are going to trade Brandon Aiyuk, it is unlikely to be in a deal with the Washington Commanders or Pittsburgh Steelers.

Per NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, the Commanders "have removed themselves from trade talks" for the star wide receiver after the 49ers gave him permission to negotiate potential contracts with interested suitors.

Maiocco noted the Steelers are "effectively no longer an option" because they declined to meet San Francisco's asking price in a trade.

Rumblings of Aiyuk being traded picked up substantially on Monday. Maiocco noted San Francisco gave Aiyuk's camp permission to negotiate potential contracts with the Commanders, Steelers, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.

The Patriots and Browns have made their best offers to Aiyuk's camp and the 49ers have accepted trade proposals from both clubs, per Maiocco. That would leave it up to Aiyuk if he wants to join either the Browns or Patriots.

If Aiyuk decides he doesn't want to play for either club, he could play out the final season of his rookie deal in San Francisco and become a free agent next offseason. That scenario could result in the 49ers using the franchise tag to ensure they get some compensation for him.

Of course, it's still possible Aiyuk and the 49ers could agree to terms on a long-term extension. This would seem to be increasingly unlikely if the 49ers are getting this far down the road in trade talks with other teams.

Aiyuk, who requested a trade last month, has been engaged in a hold-in since the 49ers opened training camp to avoid being fined without participating in practice.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday after visiting 49ers' camp that the situation between Aiyuk and the organization has "gotten really sticky" because of the shift in the receiver market.

Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown signed new contracts this offseason paying them at least $30 million per season. The Miami Dolphins restructured Tyreek Hill's contract on Saturday to give him $90 million over the next three years, including $65 million guaranteed.

Aiyuk will earn $14.1 million this season in the final year of his rookie deal. The 26-year-old was named to the All-Pro second team in 2023 after recording a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and averaging 17.9 yards per catch.