Tom Pelissero discussing Brandon Aiyuk trade reports. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero discussing Brandon Aiyuk trade reports. (Tom Pelissero on X/Twitter.)
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A long-running story in the sports media universe has been about unusual figures who beat well-known insiders to scoops. But, unlike KatyPerrysBootyHole and wetbutt23 on the Chicago Cubs’ 2017 acquisition of JosĂ© Quintana, Kansas City liquor store manager Katie Camlin on Patrick Mahomes’ 2020 extension, or Cubs’ fan Lisa on their Cody Bellinger signing this February, X/Twitter user @PrettyRickey213 has built up a record well beyond a single move. So that makes what’s going on there around a supposed trade for San Francisco 49ers’ receiver Brandon Aiyuk quite interesting, especially when it came to how NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero went off on anonymous users (not specifically mentioning @PrettyRickey213, but quite apparently referencing him) around this.

How did this all happen? Well, @PrettyRickey213 (who has had some other notable apparent scoops in the past) started this a few days ago with tweets (since-deleted) on the 49ers not only set to trade Aiyuk, but specifically trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There had been some smoke about Aiyuk and the Steelers earlier this summer, especially from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Ray Fittipaldo, but the PrettyRickey tweets went several levels further. That included undeleted tweets Monday that “there will be a trade” and “Aiyuk will be a Steeler”:

Not long after those tweets, though, NFLN’s Tom Pelissero went off on anonymous reports on-air on that network’s The Insiders show with Mike Garafalo. And while he didn’t mention Rickey by name, the implication seemed pretty clear. Here’s the clip, with the key part starting around 0:48:

“Well, Mike, it depends if you choose to listen to the people who bought blue checkmarks on social media to pretend that they have information. And then the scam that they do is they take real information bits and pieces, and then they try to do the fake and say ‘This is now done,’ when they’re really just guessing and they’re hoping.

“And then they just pretend that the nine things they got wrong didn’t actually happen. And then when they get one right, they’re just like ‘Look at this, over here.’ So no, there is no trade done to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is no trade done to any other team.

“
What I can tell you, since this is The Insiders, this is a show you should trust for accurate information and not whatever somebody’s decided to aggregate and misrepresent for their own benefit, is that there certainly have been trade discussions surrounding Brandon Aiyuk. In fact, certain specific other teams have been granted permission from the 49ers to speak with Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, and try to work out a contract deal, which would have to be a part of any deal getting done.”

Meanwhile, shortly after Pelissero’s tweet there, Andrew Filipponi of Pittsburgh radio station 97.3 The Fan added to the initial PrettyRickey report with his own sources:

And PrettyRickey fired back with tweets of his own:

A further complication to this one is PrettyRickey saying this will be his last scoop, and citing death threats:

And another twist came from long-time 49ers reporter Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reporting that the team had a trade framework in place
but with the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns?

Maiocco’s piece further notes that the Steelers were a team the 49ers gave permission to Aiyuk’s representation to talk to, but that they “effectively no longer are an option”:

The 49ers have negotiated the framework of trades that would send wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the Cleveland Browns or the New England Patriots, a league source told NBC Sports Bay Area on Monday night.

Now it’s up to Aiyuk to determine if he will accept the contract terms from either of those franchises, the source said.

The 49ers gave permission to Aiyuk to negotiate potential contracts with the Browns, Patriots, Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers, the source said.

The Commanders have removed themselves from trade talks for Aiyuk, and the Steelers effectively no longer are an option after they declined to meet the 49ers’ trade demands, the source said.

The Browns and Patriots have given their best offers to Aiyuk’s camp while also presenting trade proposals that the 49ers have accepted, the source said.

But PrettyRickey quote-tweeted that Maiocco report and doubled down on Aiyuk to the Steelers:

Ultimately, the success or failure of Pretty Rickey’s tweets here will be judged on if Aiyuk to the Steelers does wind up happening. If that does, he’ll look quite good for calling this at a point when most insiders were still insisting there wasn’t a deal in place, and maintaining the Steelers’ insistence even after reports of framework deals with other teams. And if he truly is going to retire, this will be quite the exit, and it will make those complaints from Pelissero look pretty lame (especially as the Pretty Rickey account doesn’t have a “bought blue check,” and thus is not profiting from engagement). But, if Aiyuk to the Steelers doesn’t happen, Pelissero’s rant against anonymous scoopsters may hold up better.

[Tom Pelissero on X/Twitter]

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.

View all posts by Andrew Bucholtz