As expected, Brandon Aiyuk is holding out from offseason activities with the San Francisco 49ers as he seeks a new contract. According to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, a new contract for Aiyuk appears to be somewhere in the $26 million per year range.

The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have about $15 million in cap space for 2024, but that number shoots up to nearly $80 million in 2025.

It’s not common for the Steelers to make a massive splash like this, but they’ve been linked to the embattled receiver since even before the draft, and it would be the perfect acquisition to fill the hole left by Diontae Johnson while the Steelers figure out their quarterback of the future—Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. Also, the 49ers didn’t use the franchise tag, which means that he’s set to earn about $14.1 million this season after the club picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal that he originally signed in 2020 as the No. 25 overall pick.

A tandem of Aiyuk and George Pickens would be sensational. This trade for the 49ers would also allow them to get more resources for the 2025 draft and put first-round rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the field immediately, generating plenty of production in an offense that’s shown to support multiple weapons.