‘He wants to be there,’ Brandon Aiyuk trade saga takes unexpected turn during 49ers’ negotiations with NFL teams

The trade saga involving San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk has seen another plot twist.

After reports claimed the 49ers allowed the NFL wide receiver to seek a move with contract extension negotiations stalled, it appears he could remain in the San Francisco Bay Area after all.

2

Aiyuk, 26, is out of training camp after negotiations with the 49ers broke down in recent weeks.

San Francisco has finally started listening to trade offers from teams, reports state, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns interested in acquiring the All-Pro wideout.

But the NFL star doesn’t necessarily want to play elsewhere, The Athletic’s Diana Russini said on Spoon City podcast Friday with the drama seemingly taking another unexpected turn.

“Brandon Aiyuk wants to be there,” Russini said.

“He wants to play for San Francisco. He moved his family there in the offseason. They’ve settled in.”

Later on Friday, other NFL insiders reported that Aiyuk and San Francisco had returned to the negotiating table.

The former Arizona State standout is said to have had a meeting with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and other members of the franchise where “some open and candid thoughts were expressed,” per Jordan Schultz.

NFL Network Tom Pelissero added that the team has “made a renewed effort” to sign the wide receiver to a new long-term contract.

While the situation is “fluid” and other teams, including the Steelers, are still in contention to sign Aiyuk, “a return to SF is looking increasingly possible,” Pelissero said.

Russini confirmed reports of talks resuming in the afternoon, saying Pittsburgh had not engaged in trade talks with the 49ers in the previous 24 hours.

She also shared an NFL executive’s response to his question about the possible reason why San Francisco wasn’t calling the Steelers back.

“Probably wait as long as you can… force someone to blink,” the executive wrote.

“It seems like they really don’t want to negotiate. Maybe waiting for someone to show up.

“The whole thing is very strange.”

Aiyuk is in the final year of his rookie contract, expected to pay $14.1 for the 2024 NFL season.

The former first-round pick finished the 2023 campaign with 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions.

The 49ers are believed to have agreed to send their star player to Cleveland for wide receiver Amari Cooper, as well as second- and fifth-round draft picks.

But NBC Sportand stated that Aiyuk said no to trade.

The San Francisco star himself seems to be tired of all the rumors going around.

“Niners are in the media every day haha”, he he wrote in an Instagram comment on Friday.

“There are two options: choose one and stop dismissing reports, simple.”