NFL insider says the Steelers' acquisition of Brandon Aiyuk is down to one piece of the puzzle

It feels like ages ago at this point, but at this time last week, the smoke on Brandon Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers had turned into a fire.

It then cooled down following a report that Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers reopened talks about an extension .

But now, it seems that 49ers GM John Lynch, HC Kyle Shanahan, and owner Jed York, have a simple, but not easy decision to make:

Steelers Have A Deal in Place for Brandon Aiyuk

“I believe based on every conversation I’ve had, if the 49ers say, ‘Hey, Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers, Deal done, we’re sending him to you.’ Boom. The deal’s done in a matter of seconds," Mike Garafolo said on the latest edition of The Insiders on NFL Media . "And then the contract’s done in a matter of minutes as well...

"...They made an offer and it's pretty clear by the fact that nothing is done that that offer wasn't good enough for Brandon Aiyuk's liking. And now it's just kind of seems like it's stuck in limbo based on every conversation that I have had today. And I think the ball, at this point, is probably in the 49ers' court, and it's up to them to decide do they want to pursue the trade [with the Steelers] or do they want to continue to try to get a long-term deal done with Aiyuk?

To be clear, the ball is firmly in the 49ers court here. Two of the three puzzle pieces have been placed together, but the missing piece is San Francisco, and they do have the leverage since they control Aiyuk's rights.

But the real issue here for San Francisco is Trent Williams. They know that they have to get a deal down for their star LT and any extra money they would be willing to shell out to Aiyuk, now has to be allocated for a future Hall of Famer.

So where things go from here is anyone's guess. The saga has had more twists and turns than a Hollywood script. If San Francisco sweetens the pot for Aiyuk and matches the contract from Pittsburgh, he stays in San Francisco.

If not, then maybe they decide it's best to move on and send him to Pittsburgh.

We'll see how it all ends.

Related: Latest NFL news ends the chances of former Steelers WR making his scheduled return to Pittsburgh