Report: Patriots 'have decided not to explore' Brandon Aiyuk trade

The Brandon Aiyuk trade talks are taking a new turn. After reportedly putting a “framework” together, the New England Patriots are no longer pursuing a deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

The Patriots were one of two teams NBC Sports Bay Area’s Mike Maiocco reported had the workings of a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. The Cleveland Browns were another team he noted after Aiyuk requested a trade prior to training camp.

Instead, the Patriots appear happy with their current group of receivers, according to Schefter. New England returns each of its top three receivers from last year, including Demario Douglas, who led the way with 561 yards as a rookie. Aiyuk would’ve been an exciting weapon in the room, especially as the Patriots get ready for the Drake Maye era after selecting him No. 4 overall in the NFL Draft.

Rumors continue to swirl about what could be next for Aiyuk as he looks for a new deal, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are another potential destination. In fact, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said that could be the former Arizona State star’s “preferred destination” considering they’re still in the mix amid the other noise.

“Some folks said the Steelers are out of it,” Garafolo said on The Insiders Tuesday. “The Steelers were never out of it, and they’re not out of it as we sit here right now, as well. It sounds like, if you piece this all together, that would be Aiyuk’s preferred destination of all the teams that we’ve talked about.

“So it’s just got to get to the point where the Steelers can sweeten the pot when it comes to the trade offer with the 49ers. And then we can get to a point where Aiyuk can get a deal done with the Steelers and get over there. But in the meantime, it is a standoff right now. There has been no progress. It feels like we’re getting closer, but we’re doing it very slowly.”

Pittsburgh isn’t the only team still vying for Brandon Aiyuk. Cleveland is also reportedly in the mix, and Amari Cooper’s name has come up as one in a potential trade. When asked about the rumors on Tuesday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he’d keep his conversations with Cooper quiet and wouldn’t comment further on the reports.

“I don’t get into reports,” Stefanski said. “Respectfully, I understand the questions but really just focused on today.”