Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk has turned things around this season. Everyone expected big things from the second-year receiver, and he stalled out of the gate. He's excelled over the last five games, though, hauling in 23 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns in that span.
Last month, Aiyuk partially credited a conversation (or conversations) with Kyle Shanahan for his impressive turnaround. The receiver shared that he and his coach
had "some words," leading many to believe there was at least some sort of verbal confrontation between the two.
Even the team's general manager weighed in on the topic.
"
I was there at one particular meeting — I think the one Brandon was referencing — around the bye week, where they had a really good dialogue," John Lynch said last month. "I was in there. I kind of felt like the guy, Robert Wuhl, in Bull Durham, where I'm kind of like, 'Alright.' You know, I'm standing in between them.
"But they both got some things off their chest, but it was very productive. And they had an honest conversation. And I think that led to Brandon understanding kind of what the frustrations were."
Shanahan joined KNBR on Friday morning and shared his side of the story, which sounded less confrontational than initially portrayed.
"Brandon's got a funny way of communicating, and I understand it very well," Shanahan said on the
Murph & Mac show. "A lot of people have asked me that because he said we 'had words.' When you say we 'had words,' it comes off as [something more confrontational]. But it wasn't like that at all.
"We had good words, a good dialogue, a good discussion. Not just one. Probably about 100 of them. So, it's something that we've got a good relationship. He knows I push him hard, but I think he knows what my intent is. My intent is to get him to be the best receiver he can be, so he can help the Niners. And his goal is to be the best receiver he can be, one, so he can help the Niners, but [also] so he can support his family and have a hell of a career.
"So we both have the same goal, and we both need each other to reach those goals."
We may see Aiyuk's role increase even more on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, with the 49ers' leading receiver,
Deebo Samuel, expected to miss the game.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.
On Wednesday, Chat Sports contributor Chase Senior reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He further stated that the Steelers are confident they can finalize a deal for the star player.
REPORTS: The Pittsburgh Steelers are aggressively pursuing a Brandon Aiyuk trade and the Steelers would be "surprised" if they don't land Aiyuk. Of note: Pittsburgh has the 20th overall pick. The Niners could look at that as equal value for Aiyuk if they can't get a deal done.…
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
According to Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein, who writes for "All Steelers" on the network, there's a level of confidence within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that they can strike a deal for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—and at a bargain rate.
"According to a team source, the Steelers and 49ers trade talks are real," Strackbein wrote. "While nothing is imminent, they 'would be surprised if it didn't happen.' But it all comes down to compensation, and Pittsburgh isn't willing to budge much on price."
While it seems unlikely that the 49ers would part ways with Aiyuk for anything less than a first-round draft
A questionable rumor surfaced on Wednesday regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers' interest in San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein reported that the AFC team was seemingly confident they could pull off a trade for Aiyuk.
However, the credibility of this report comes into question due to the assertion that the Steelers believe they could acquire Aiyuk at a bargain price, possibly in exchange for a second-round draft pick and a late-round selection.
RELATED: Steelers believe they can acquire Aiyuk at a
