PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers’ rollercoaster ride for a wide receiver transfer hasn’t come to an end yet. Although the excitement is dying down, their expectations for Brandon Aiyuk remain high, but for now it’s a case of waiting and seeing what happens.

Despite growing optimism in recent weeks, the Steelers once again appear to be on the back foot in the pursuit of Aiyuk. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Pittsburgh’s latest offer pushed Aiyuk back to San Francisco. New reports claim the “more likely” scenario is that the All-Pro wide receiver re-signs with the 49ers.

On the Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained the current situation between the 49ers, Aiyuk and the Steelers.

“We know that, anyway. I think he’d like to be in San Francisco,” Schefter said. “We know he wants to get paid. And we know the 49ers want to keep him. So if everything’s there, all the pieces are in place, it shouldn’t be that hard. It shouldn’t be that hard to get to the point where you figure out what it takes to get it across the finish line.”

The Steelers reportedly offered the 49ers a second-round pick for Aiyuk and a contract worth less than $28 million. However, their offer is still higher than San Francisco’s, causing a delay between the two sides.

Pittsburgh isn’t out of the race yet, but things appear to be nearing a tipping point. If a deal does happen, it would likely happen before the regular season, but with one preseason game remaining, the clock is ticking.

The Steelers and 49ers have reportedly been quiet for some time. It will be worth watching to see if Pittsburgh’s offers change and where they go next if they don’t get Aiyuk. Some have speculated that CeeDee Lamb could be an option, while sources told Steelers OnSI that JuJu Smith-Schuster could be a name to keep an eye on.

Be sure to bookmark Steelers OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film analysis and more.