Pittsburgh Steelers named 'dream' landing spot for $120 million wide receiver
Things just got really interesting between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk has been on the shelf the entire season after suffering a torn ACL last year. The expectation was he would be back at some point this season, but he has not even so much as been designated to return from the PUP list yet.
Now, The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Mike Silver are reporting that Aiyuk and the Niners are heading for a divorce in 2026 and Aiyuk may have played his last game with the team.
The report adds that Aiyuk has frustrated the 49ers by not attending team meetings and activities in recent months. As a result, San Francisco has voided Aiyuk's guarantees in his $120 million contract.
In the wake of that report, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox listed off a handful of teams that would be "dream" landing spots for Aiyuk, and he named the Pittsburgh Steelers as one of them.
While the Steelers added DK Metcalf this offseason, they also parted with George Pickens. This means that Pittsburgh still has a desperate need for receiver depth behind its top option.
Now, the Steelers have some uncertainty at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers has mostly played well this season but will turn 42 in December. Pairing Aiyuk with Metcalf would help whoever the Steelers put behind center in 2026 and beyond.
The issue at wide receiver Knox mentions has stretched back to the 2024 offseason, when the team was looking for someone to pair with George Pickens.
Amid their search that year, the Steelers tried to trade for Aiyuk before he signed his long-term deal with the Niners, Silver and Russini revealed in their report.
Pittsburgh's offer included second- and third-round picks before San Francisco and Aiyuk finally agreed to an extension that is now proving disastrous.
Despite all the issues he's had in San Francisco in recent years, it's fair to believe the Steelers will still have interest in Aiyuk, although that will depend upon his health and how much he ultimately costs.
After all this, the price for Aiyuk should be cheap, as no team is going to be willing to dish out big bucks under the circumstances.
If that turns out to be the case, the Steelers would be wise to take a flyer on a two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver who would serve as a great complement to DK Metcalf.
Jaelan Phillips is 2 games into his Eagles tenure and is already facing pressure
While the stakes are high for the Philadelphia Eagles franchise, for their newly acquired trade piece, the backend of the season might mean a bit more.
CBS Sports writer Jared Dubin examined some players in the NFL who are facing the most pressure in the second half of the season. Dubin mentioned Eagles edge rusher Jaelan Phillips as one who is looking to deliver on the pressure ahead of him.
"Phillips is already excelling for the Eagles and has the potential to earn himself a ton of money by continuing to play at that level for the next several weeks and into the playoffs. He has occasionally been an electric edge rusher throughout his career and again looks like that right now, but injury issues have plagued him going all the way back to college and it might be viewed as a significant risk to give him a long-term, big-money deal. If he plays well enough, though, teams could be willing to overlook that history."
Phillips must remove the durability narrative and show he can be a star in the NFL
After joining the Eagles during this year's trade deadline, Phillips was set to play out the final half of the season on his fifth-year option of his rookie deal. So far through two games, he's delivering as expected and as needed for Philadelphia.
The 2021 first-round pick has dealt with a slew of injuries over the last two seasons, limiting his ability to showcase his production. His 2023 season (ironically, where he was working with Vic Fangio in Miami) was on pace to be a 15-sack season.
Now healthy, it's up to Phillips to deliver during the final seven games of the 2025 season. Phillips has the potential to earn himself a ton of money if he continues his bounce-back with the Eagles, especially if he carries his play into Philadelphia's playoff run. Phillips, in two games with Philadelphia, has totaled 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, and four quarterback hits so far.
Phillips has been an electric EDGE rusher throughout his career, and when healthy, could be one of the more dynamic players at the position. However, between an Achilles injury in 2023 and a knee injury in 2024, along with injuries he suffered in college (which led to a brief retirement), Phillips may not be able to "cash out" on his next contract.
While history always plays a role in contract negotiation, NFL executives can also be blind to such issues and fall back on the mentality of "what have you done for me recently". It's unclear whether Phillips can keep up his torrid pace in the NFC East, and if he does, the NFL (specifically the Eagles) will look past his injury history.
