The New England Patriots have been looking to add to their relatively weak wide receiver room heading into the 2024 season.
That previously included agreeing to the parameters of a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Unfortunately, Aiyuk indicated behind the scenes that he did not want to head to New England. This pretty much ended trade discussions.
But it was not for an lack of effort from New England’s brass.
According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (h/t 98.5 The Sports Hub), the Patriots offered Aiyuk a deal that would have come in at $32 million annually.
This fits in with other reports that the Patriots were willing to offer Aiyuk more than any other team. He was said to be demanding north of $30 million per season from the 49ers before extension talks broke down back in May. That $32 million figure would’ve made the former first-round pick the second highest-paid receiver in the NFL behind Justin Jefferson.
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New England Patriots wide receiver options after missing out on Brandon Aiyuk
As of right now, Kendrick Bourne joins DeMario Douglas and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk as the Patriots’ top-three receivers.
Even with rookie quarterback Drake Maye unlikely to start this season, adding to this group is a necessity for the Pats.
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of options on the trade market. New England could engage the Cincinnati Bengals on a Tee Higgins trade. He had previously requested to be dealt prior to signing his franchise tag tender. Right now, Higgins does not seem to be on the trade block.
Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb is currently a holdout from training camp. Though, it’s hard to imagine Dallas dealing him.