The San Francisco 49ers and star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk have been unable to close the gap in contract talks throughout the past several months.
While Aiyuk is attending training camp in Santa Clara, he’s considered a “hold in.” The All-Pro has not participated in practices throughout the summer session after requesting a trade this past offseason.
It’s apparently a sticky situation between the two sides, with Aiyuk demanding north of $30 million per season. San Francisco has yet to match the asking price from the former first-round pick out of Arizona State.
The 49ers’ brass has repeatedly pushed back against the idea that they will trade the 26-year-old pass-catcher. It makes sense given their status as a legitimate Super Bowl contender after winning the NFC last season.
We now have an pretty interesting update on this situation heading into San Francisco’s preseason opener next weekend.
Insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports signals that a trade of Aiyuk from San Francisco is more than possible.
“At this point, Aiyuk and the 49ers have some options,” report on Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. “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.”
In a vacuum, trading Aiyuk would not make much sense. Any deal would include 2025 NFL Draft capital, which wouldn’t help the team this coming season.
Then again, the finances are complicated. San Francisco boasts some of the highest-paid players in the NFL. It will also have to dole out what will be a record-breaking contract to quarterback Brock Purdy next season.
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Potential Brandon Aiyuk landing spots in trade from the San Francisco 49ers
Maiocco points to a couple teams as possibilities to land Aiyuk. Each one would bring draft capital and another wide receiver to Northern California.
The Cleveland Browns continue to be linked to Aiyuk in trade rumors. This scenario would include Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper heading to the 49ers. That idea was mirrored by Browns beat writer, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
The New England Patriots are in need of receiver help for young quarterback Drake Maye. Former 49ers pass-catcher Kendrick Bourne could be floated as a possibility for San Francisco in a trade.
We’ve also heard Aiyuk’s name linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, his social media activity has added to these rumors. Perhaps, George Pickens could head back to San Francisco in a blockbuster.
Either way, it remains highly likely that Aiyuk is in a 49ers uniform come Week 1 against the New York Jets. But the possibility of a trade can’t be ignored.