We can officially confirm that the Brandon Aiyuk-Pittsburgh Steelers trade report was fake. A fiction. Completely false.

In fact, Aiyuk to Pittsburgh appears dead in the water, according to the latest report from Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. The Steelers were originally among the teams negotiating for Aiyuk, but two teams have emerged as viable frontrunners with a “framework” in place — the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots.

Now, it’s up to Aiyuk. If he can agree to contract terms with either franchise, a trade could happen in the next few days, maybe even the next few hours. The return package would involve “a veteran wide receiver and a package of draft picks,” per Maiocco, allowing the San Francisco 49ers to retool on the fly and effectively replace Aiyuk within the offense.

Browns, Patriots emerge as frontrunners for potentially imminent Brandon Aiyuk trade

The Patriots are an expected candidate to acquire Aiyuk. That fit has long made sense, with New England lacking established options in the WR room. Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, has already suffered from the Pats’ poor infrastructure in training camp. Jacoby Brissett is a suitable stopgap, but New England is building long term with Maye in mind. He needs weapons to throw to. Aiyuk’s speed and his diverse route tree offer a compelling option, even at a high price point.

More surprising, however, is the Browns’ presence on this list. Cleveland already has plenty of established WR talent between Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore. The more the merrier, however, as the Browns try to finally construct an elite offense around their egregiously expensive QB room. Deshaun Watson hasn’t exactly lacked for weapons in recent years, but injuries took a toll on the Browns a season ago and depth is never out of style.

It goes without saying that Aiyuk would help both teams. A lot. He’s due for a contract in excess of $30 million annually, in line with other top wideouts who landed new deals this summer. That is not an insignificant investment, especially when AIyuk doesn’t even have a Pro Bowl on his resumé. But the production and talent level is beyond doubt. Aiyuk averaged a whopping 17.9 yards per catch last season and totaled 1,342 yards on the season, succeeding Deebo Samuel as the No. 1 wideout in Kyle Shanahan’s prolific offense.

Not to spoil the fun, but Aiyuk won’t receive the Shanahan boost in New England or Cleveland. It will be much tougher sledding in either setting, although expanded duties and more targets could land him squarely on the awards radar. That is precisely why the Browns or Patriots will trade for Aiyuk, though. To add firepower, to make life easier on others within the offense.

New England absolutely has the more pressing need, while Cleveland offers Aiyuk’s best chance at contending in the immediate future. Aiyuk has power over his final destination because of the contract snafu. He can essentially refuse to sign a new contract with a team, which would effectively rule out a trade.

Aiyuk will need to consider his options and determine his priorities. Either way, we are in for an interesting next few days. There is officially smoke on the horizon, and we all know what that means in the realm of NFL rumors.