A lot of back and forth is going on between the San Francisco 49ers and their star wideout Brandon Aiyuk. The Bay Area team permitted Aiyuk to seek contracts from other teams. And, boy, it did not take time for teams to come forth with evident interest. But, like every other Hollywood story, this tale has its twists in the form of terms and conditions that come with the grant.

Reportedly, the New England Patriots, the Steelers, and the Cleveland Browns have been interested in the WR. Alas! The negotiations with the Pats have met their end. Adam Schefter took to X and wrote, “Sources: After inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk’s availability, the Patriots have decided not to explore any further trade possibilities with the 49ers regarding their standout wide receiver. Patriots are excited about their young receivers and want to focus on them.”

On paper, the Patriots receivers don’t have impressive numbers. However, receivers like Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, and the rookie Ja’Lynn Polk are just as talented as Brandon Aiyuk. Moreover, backup receivers like JuJu Smith-Schuster and KJ Osbourne have proved that they can be a force to be reckoned with in the past.

However, at one point, the Patriots were willing to overlook all of their receivers to strike a deal with Aiyuk. “The Patriots were prepared to offer the largest deal of the teams who pursued Aiyuk,” Matt Maiocco of NBC wrote in his column. “Two sources told NBC Sports Bay Area that New England’s proposal topped $30 million a year.”

However, with a newly revamped system, it would make sense for the Steelers to give their roster a chance before taking drastic measures. Also, their contract issues with Matthew Judon don’t really do them any favors either. It would have looked bad if the Pats offered Brandon Aiyuk more than $30 million without taking care of their own first.

However, there are some more things that make this trade a bad deal from a financial standpoint.

Why Brandon Aiyuk going to the Steelers may be a bad deal

There are a couple of things to be kept in mind if Aiyuk were to go to the Patriots. Firstly, Aiyuk might want to go to a team where he can possibly chase a ring. The problem with New England is that they have a lot on their plate. Jacoby Brissett used to be a backup QB and Drake Maye won’t start till next year. NBC’s Tom E. Curran expanded on Matt Maiocco’s idea.

“So it is Brandon Aiyuk and the Patriots are being asked to pay, as we refer to it during free agency, as a suck tax. They’re not a good place to come. They have a temp quarterback, a very good temp quarterback. They have a project backup,” Speaking of suck tax, the Patriots GM was reportedly trying to put it all together, but the Patriots declined later. Moreover, Brandon Aiyuk isn’t interested in joining the Patriots either and money isn’t the reason.

The team has a rookie head coach (Jerod Mayo) and a new offensive coordinator (Alex Van Pelt). They have a lot of settling up to do this year. Hence, the Patriots will be robbed of their money if they were to trade for Aiyuk because they don’t have any winning chances this year.

“They have a first-year head coach. They have an offense that is being developed and Brandon Aiyuk is probably going to come here and catch 70 balls if he’s really good this year. And that’s, you know, going to be a far cry from with an established quarterback, established program,” added Curran later.

Right now, the best choice for Brandon Aiyuk appears to be the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have a commendable defense but more than that, a great QB room. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have made a lot of noise in the training camp, though their cap situation is not the best right now. They have a remaining cap space of $15.4 million with $24.3 million in dead cap. But if the Steelers want to make things happen, Aiyuk can find a spot in the Steel City.