according to Report from Pittsburgh On Wednesday afternoon, a long-discussed trade that would send San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers was finalized. In effect A settled deal.
John Lund of KNBR in San Francisco says that's not the case, since the Steelers are only offering draft picks to acquire Aiyuk, and the 49ers would like at least some compensation in the form of an active player not on the Steelers' roster.
“They're desperate to win the Super Bowl,” Rand told me on 105.9 The X on Wednesday. “They're not just looking for a draft pick in return. They're looking for a player. They're looking for (Pat) Friarmouth or any player the Steelers can give up. They're looking for a player and a pick. From what I've heard, the Steelers are only (offering) picks. … If there's not a player involved, then from the 49ers' standpoint, I don't think this deal is going to get done.”
The fact that the 49ers might want Friarmouth is intriguing since they already have five-time Pro Bowl selection George Kittle at the tight end position, but Rand says the request actually makes sense.
“George Kittle is pretty worn out now,” Rand explained. “He plays hard. He gets hurt. His contract is up (after 2025), and the 49ers can't afford to hire everybody. They'll want to go younger. Kittle is injury-prone, so that's stressing the 49ers out. So they'll look at a tight end.”
But to some extent, Friarmouth is in a similar situation to Aiyuk: He is also in the final year of his contract and unless he signs an extension before being traded, a deal may not make sense.
Additionally, while the Steelers may have addressed a clear need at receiver by acquiring Aiyuk, trading Friarmouth creates another need at tight end. With the new Steelers offense relying on multiple tight end sets under Arthur Smith, it's hard to imagine Connor Heyward and Darnell Washington having the established starting ability to replace Friarmouth.
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So who would go west in exchange for Aiyuk if not Freyarmoot?
“Minkah Fitzpatrick's name has been mentioned,” Lund said. “There's no way (the Steelers) would trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick. I've heard the name (Nick) Herbig at outside linebacker. I think they like him. But I don't know if the Steelers want to include him in a trade.”
Herbig is young, promising and cheap. But what about the guy to start in front of Herbig? That's Alex Highsmith. I asked Rand if that's the guy San Francisco wants.
“Highsmith is a player they're very interested in,” Lund said. “A pass rusher opposite Nick Bosa is something they needed. They had Leonard Floyd for two years, but they definitely want an upgrade.”
Here's the rumored package I heard before speaking with Rand: Hypothetically, the Steelers would give up two second-round picks, a receiver (likely Calvin Austin III) and either tackle Dan Moore or guard James Daniels.
“I've never heard of them, but they're a perfect fit for the 49ers' approach,” Lund said of the two offensive linemen. “With the exception of Trent Williams, they don't give their offensive linemen big contracts. They figure they can find them in free agency or the draft.”
Regardless of who returns to San Francisco, Lund said the rumored trade between the teams has yet to be finalized.
“From what I understand, it doesn't seem like the issue is (the money for Aiyuk's extension). It seems like the issue is the compensation money that will be returned to the 49ers,” Lund said. “I've heard people say the deal is done and they're taking care of the details, but that's not true. The deal isn't done. The 49ers want one or two players.”
During our interview, Rand and I also discussed why Aiyuk wanted to come to Pittsburgh instead of Cleveland or New England, Aiyuk's limitations outside of San Francisco's offensive system and why contract negotiations with the Niners fell apart in the first place.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Contact Tim at [email protected] or XAll Tweets may be reposted. All Emails may be publicly posted unless otherwise specified.
