It’s been one of the major stories around the NFL. Will the San Francisco 49ers trade star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk this offseason?
Aiyuk, 26, is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract and wants to become one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.
Varying reports have surfaced regarding Aiyuk’s status leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft later this week. One report suggests that a trade could be completed during the annual event. Meanwhile, 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters recently that he would like to have Aiyuk in a 49ers uniform for the remainder of his career.
We now have more on this courtesy of respected 49ers insider Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle. The report should add more intrigue to this situation over the next two days or so.
Silver notes that Aiyuk and the 49ers are “far apart on negotiations for a lucrative contract extension.” The insider also indicates that San Francisco has asked for a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for Aiyuk while noting that a trade is still possible.
Related: Full 7-round San Francisco 49ers mock draft
Will the San Francisco 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk during the NFL Draft?
This is an extremely complicated situation for a number of reasons. First off, any acquiring team would have to pay Aiyuk $25-plus million annually to meet the growing market dynamics at wide receiver right now. Add in having to send at least a first-round pick to the 49ers in a trade, and the complexities are real.
As for the 49ers, they are paying out some of the richest contracts in the NFL right now. That includes Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner being among the five highest-paid at their respective positions in the NFL.
While San Francisco’s brass continues to push back against the idea of trading Aiyuk, these reports from respected media members seem to suggest a deal is possible.
Related: 2024 NFL mock draft
A first-round pick out of Arizona State in the 2020 NFL Draft, Aiyuk is coming off a two-year run with San Francisco in which he tallied a combined 153 receptions for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s been linked primarily to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers in trade talks.