San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade on July 16, and the situation between the talented wideout and the team has gotten increasingly mucky since.
Shortly after his request, ESPN reported that the Niners and the receiver were far apart in contract negotiations, as the fifth-year wideout is in the final year of his rookie deal and desires a new deal. Per ESPN, Aiyuk “want[s] to be traded or paid. San Fran doesn’t want to pay him [relative to market value] or trade him.”
According to one 49ers insider, the team may have changed its tune regarding a possible trade, however.
“At this point, Aiyuk and the 49ers have some options,” NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco wrote on August 4. “And it appears more likely than ever that the 49ers are willing to make a trade. It might be up to Aiyuk to determine the next move.”
Maiocco isn’t the only insider sharing updates suggesting Aiyuk’s days in the Bay Area may be numbered.
San Francisco 49ers More Willing to Trade WR Brandon Aiyuk, Per ESPN
Source: #49ers All-Pro WR Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade after an offseason of unsuccessful attempts to reach an extension.
Despite a recent meeting, the Niners haven’t been willing to engage in negotiations since May so Aiyuk has respectfully asked out. pic.twitter.com/EWxYMvsHch
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 16, 2024
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler visited 49ers camp on July 30 and 31, and his takeaways were telling.
“The situation has gotten really sticky,” Fowler wrote on August 3. “The receiver market ballooning into the $30 million neighborhood has complicated talks. The 49ers have not shown a willingness to pay Aiyuk what he thinks he’s worth, and negotiations hadn’t intensified lately, last I had checked.”
A second-team All-Pro selection in 2023 after hauling in 75 passes for 1,342 yards (17.9 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns, Aiyuk has had two straight 1,000-yard campaigns. A first-round pick for the Niners in 2020, he has earned a new deal. Trouble is, San Francisco may not be able to pay him.
With All-Pro offensive lineman Trent Williams also currently holding out in the hopes of getting a more lucrative new deal, Fowler explained why Aiyuk may not be a priority for the team:
With Aiyuk holding firm to his pay-me-or-trade-me stance, maybe those trade calls San Francisco is receiving will prove enticing at some point. Trading Aiyuk would make paying Williams infinitely easier. Then there’s this big-picture issue: The 49ers have seven players earning $15 million to $34 million per year, with others just beneath that floor. And in talking to people here, San Francisco understands that a thoughtful reset of its salary cap will be necessary at some point.
New England Patriots Named Logical Trade Destination for Aiyuk
Maiocco pegged the New England Patriots as a realistic potential trade partner for Aiyuk, and he proposed a WR swap: Aiyuk in exchange for Kendrick Bourne and additional draft capital.
“The Patriots are another logical trade partner for the 49ers,” he noted. “The Patriots could offer former 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne as part of a trade that includes an enticing package of 2025 draft picks.”
Bourne, 29, spent the first four years of his career with the 49ers, so a trade would bring him back where it all started. He’s nowhere near the dynamic or productive player Aiyuk is, but he’d be a serviceable receiver to add to the team’s already large group of playmakers.
The current Patriots WR was limited to eight games last season after tearing his ACL in October of 2023, so he’d have to be healthy for this to work. Bourne’s best season came in 2021, when he caught 55 passes for 800 yards and five TDs. He likely wouldn’t have that type of production in San Francisco, but he could still help the offense.
There are other trade possibilities too, of course, and it’ll be fascinating to see how this all plays out.
