NFL insider says Steelers' acquisition of star WR comes down to Omar Khan: ‘Sweetening the pot’ for the 49ers

The talk surrounding not only the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers but the whole league revolves around Brandon Aiyuk.

The past 48 hours have been a whirlwind of reports on who's in, who's out, and everything in between.

But according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media , the Steelers are a contender in the sweepstakes, with a clear path to acquiring Aiyuk:

Garafolo on Steelers Intreset in Aiyuk

"The Steelers were never out of it, and they're not out of it as we sit here right now as well," Garafolo said on NFL Network Tuesday Night. "It sounds like, if you piece this all together, that [Pittsburgh] would be Aiyuk's preferred destination of all the teams that we've talked about. So it's just gotta get to the point maybe where the Steelers can sweeten the pot when it comes to the trade offer with the 49ers, and then we can get to the point where Aiyuk can get a deal done with the Steelers and get over there."

A few hours after Garafolo made the statement, ESPN and Adam Schefter said that one of the teams said to be involved in said negotiations, the New England Patriots had dropped out of the deal, which was also confirmed by multiple Patriots sources.

After inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk's availability, the New England Patriots have decided not to explore any further trade possibilities with the San Francisco 49ers regarding their standout wide receiver, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday. The Patriots were one of three teams that had been in contact with the Niners about a potential trade for Aiyuk, along with the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, sources told ESPN. - ESPN

So it certainly seems like the ball is in the Steelers and more specifically Omar Khan's court. If reports of Aiyuk naming Pittsburgh as his top destination are true, Khan and Co. have some leverage on their side.

But in this case, it takes three to tango. Pittsburgh and Aiyuk can be aligned but the 49ers are the ones who control when, where and if he goes since he's under contract.

Khan and 49ers GM John Lynch are having talks, of which have been said to be fluid and ever-changing. It may be a case of who blinks first, something both GMs rarely do.

To be a fly on the wall in either one's office right now.

Related: Steelers Training Camp Takeaways Day 12: George Pickens continues to prove he's an alien, defense banged up