NFL Rumors: Why Brandon Aiyuk Preferred Steelers Over Patriots

Brandon Aiyuk had his wishes granted when he signed a new contract with the 49ers, but the star wide receiver needed to have a backup plan in place in case things didn't work out in San Francisco.

Plan B appeared to reside in Pittsburgh, the Steelers and the Niners reportedly arranged the framework of an Aiyuk deal that could have been acted on if a trade became necessary. Aiyuk reportedly preferred Pittsburgh as a potential landing spot over New England, even though the Steelers reportedly made "by far" the worst financial offer of the trade candidates. One also could argue Drake Maye could've provided more promise to Aiyuk than Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.

So, why was Aiyuk open to taking his talents to Pittsburgh but not New England? Sports Illustrated's Alber Breer provided an explanation during a recent appearance on NBC Sports Boston.

"The reason why Brandon Aiyuk liked the Steelers was because he built a rapport with Mike Tomlin before the 2020 draft," Breer said. "That, of course, was during the (COVID-19) pandemic, so they had bonded over Zoom. So, that was his reasoning for Pittsburgh being the team he would have accepted a trade to."

There's no denying Tomlin has a leg-up on Mayo in the coaching and recruiting departments, at least for right now. The longtime Steelers coach has a Super Bowl title under his belt and never has had a losing season in Pittsburgh. Mayo, meanwhile, still is a completely unknown commodity at the highest level of NFL coaching.

That's what makes the upcoming season so important for the Patriots. If there's a dumpster fire in New England from wire to wire, it will only make it tougher for Mayo and company to attract top talents to Foxboro, Mass.