It looks like Brandon Aiyuk almost joined the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Before agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers on August 29, the star receiver was close to being traded to Pittsburgh.

How close was it? The same day he agreed to a deal with San Francisco, a last-minute trade to the Steelers fell through while President of Football Operations/General Manager John Lynch and the executive team were finalizing a deal with Pittsburgh, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported Sunday morning on “FOX NFL Sunday.”

“The day it actually happened, the 49ers traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Glazer said. “He was already on his way there, and then all of a sudden that day, Brandon Aiyuk arrived at the facility early, went downstairs and tried to meet with Kyle Shanahan. Kyle Shanahan tried to get in touch with management, but they couldn’t take his call because they were trying to complete the trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“So Shanahan actually ran all the way up the stairs and said, ‘Hold on, let’s put these trade talks on hold right now. Pittsburgh, we’ll call you right back.’ They went down and talked to Aiyuk for about two hours. They said, ‘Listen, you have until the end of practice. Either we trade you to Pittsburgh today or you take the deal that’s on the table. It’s up to you, but you have until the end of practice.’ He said, ‘This is where I want to be.’ Brandon Aiyuk remains a 49er.”

Aiyuk’s decision came just in time, as a transfer to Pittsburgh was apparently imminent before the receiver, with Shanahan’s help, immediately blocked the deal.

The All-Pro receiver now remains with the 49ers, the organization that selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and was close to trading him.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast