Albert Breer of SI.com has the Pittsburgh Steelers’ contract offer to San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

“The Steelers’ offer was around $28 million per year, which several other receivers (DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown) got this offseason,” Breer reported Monday.

Remember that Aiyuk is currently under contract with the 49ers for $14.1 million through the 2024 season, with an option for a fifth year on his entry-level contract. If the Steelers can get Aiyuk to agree to an acceptable contract extension, they will also have to work out a compensation package for the Niners to be willing to let the second-team All-Pro leave San Francisco.

“They’re stable, with a Super Bowl-winning head coach, but they haven’t won at the Niners’ level recently and they don’t have the geographic pull,” Breer said of the Steelers.

Well, but Aiyuk has indicated that he interested in playing for Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh. And whatever geographical shortcomings the Steelers may have in luring the Reno native from Nevada, the other two teams apparently are interested in offering him a similar sum to leave San Francisco, both in the northeast of the country. One of them is the Cleveland Browns. The other is the New England Patriots.

“The Patriots offered a deal above $30 million per year. New England also has a rookie head coach, a rookie quarterback and is on the other side of the country from where Aiyuk grew up, went to college (Arizona State) and played pro,” Breer continued. “So San Francisco, which last moved in contract negotiations in May, is in a position to get a deal done with a guy they want to pair up with long-term Purdy, George Kittle in his 30s and the football mileage slowly ticking up on the bodies of Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel. Things have gone quiet in recent days, a hint that the Niners have finally left the spot they occupied in May.”

In June it was reported that the Niners had offered between $26 and $28 million annually to extend Aiyuk’s contract.

Given the never-ending rumors about the Steelers’ interest in the receiver, I asked offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on Monday whether his unit, with its current lineup, has enough firepower at the wide receiver position.

“I’m just worried about who I have,” Smith said. “Everyone would like have the perfect setup, but it simply doesn’t exist. So you Only deal with reality. Whoever they bring here, it’s our job – and more importantly, my job – to take care of the guys here and put them in the best places.”

A place where the Steelers are anything but perfect is a wide receiver.

Van Jefferson can Be a quality recipient #3. But he is not number 2. And He is certainly not number 1 if George Pickens gets injured. Aiyuk would be a good fit in this regard.

Nevertheless, some Steelers fans and media people do not want Aiyuk at this price. They oppose the idea of They traded him, insisting that Smith’s offense doesn’t require much from a second wide receiver.

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If this is the case, then there is a significant flaw in Smith’s structure.

Perhaps it is too archaic to implement the capabilities of a second receiver by Way of The use of multiple tight ends and running backs is part of the the reason why Smith has a 7-10 record in each of his last three years as head coach and playmaker in Atlanta.

These are the second best performing receivers on the team this season.

2023 – Mack Hollins: 18 catches/251 yards/no touchdowns

2022 – Olamide Zaccheus: 40 catches/533 yards/ three touchdowns

2021 – Olamide Zaccheus: 31 catches/406 yards/three touchdowns

However, in 2020, when he was the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, Smith was able to get 65 receptions, 984 yards and five touchdowns from Corey Davis, while AJ Brown made the Pro Bowl at the other receiver position with a season of 1,075 yards.

Maybe it’s a chicken-and-egg argument. Does Smith’s offense reduce the opportunities for second receivers or has he simply built his offense around throwing the ball to tight ends and running backs more often because he was missing ?Wide receiver depth at his previous two stops?

“Every year is different,” Smith said in response to that question. “When you feel like you have a strong group, there may be weeks where you’re missing two players. So you’re trying to put together the best personnel group, and a lot of that comes down to matchups. … No matter how many great players there are, it’s our job to figure that out. You just have to have a contingency plan.”

On this last point, I no idea what the emergency plan is in case Pickens gets injured.

But Aiyuk would certainly be a good one.