While there have been assumptions, speculations, and projections about the possibility of trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk before re-signing him on a new contract, there have been no concrete reports of conversations between San Francisco and other teams until now. 49ers Brandon Aiyuk is the wide receiver who was being discussed for a potential trade. Brandon Aiyuk is the wide receiver who was being discussed for a potential trade. The 49ers asked for the Jaguars’ first-round pick and starting receiver Zay Jones in exchange for Aiyuk, but the Jaguars thought this was too expensive and the deal fell through.
Mia Jones, a reporter, confirmed that the Jaguars and 49ers did talk about trading Aiyuk in the offseason, but the Jaguars were not willing to meet the 49ers’ asking price.
Wrote Jones on Twitter/X: “As I noted on #XLPrimetime: #49ers reportedly would’ve wanted No. 17 overall + Zay Jones. Then #Jaguars would have to pay Aiyuk. So, fizzling out. (hopefully this tweet will stop all the random Niners fans who have Facebook friend requested/IG DM’d me in the last 4 days).”
The 49ers may choose to select a top-level wide receiver in 2024 instead.
If the 49ers made the trade, they would benefit from the No. 17 pick where they could choose one of the top receivers in a loaded class at the position.
It's probably too early to draft Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze with the No. 17 pick, but they could consider trading for one of those players or wait for Brian Thomas, Xavier Worthy, or Xavier Leggette.
The 49ers are not in a rush to trade Aiyuk and could take their time with the situation.
Technically, Aiyuk is still under contract for next season at $14 million, but the 49ers may need to negotiate a new deal with him. It's projected that Aiyuk could sign a contract worth $23 million per year for four years, totaling $92 million. John Lynch, the 49ers GM, has expressed that Aiyuk is one of his favorite players and has a strong interest in keeping him on the team.
There are many reasons for Lynch to want Aiyuk in San Francisco, as Aiyuk had an impressive performance last year, making 1,342 yards on 75 catches with an average of 17.9 yards per catch, placing him second in the NFL.
Lynch also mentioned that Aiyuk had a strong connection with the team's quarterback throughout the season, especially when the team's other top receiver, Deebo Samuel, was injured for two games and parts of others. It was stated back at the NFL draft combine that Aiyuk remains a priority for Lynch, but fitting him into the team’s already top-heavy salary structure may be challenging. “We have some challenges,” Lynch said, per Pro Football Talk. “We have a lot of good players, a lot of good players who we’ve rewarded. Brandon’s one that we think incredibly highly of, one of my favorite guys around our building, the way he approaches the game. He’s a competitor. He’s a warrior. He plays with such physicality, also with grace, in the way some of the positions his body can get into. Brock Purdy “And then he’s got a flair for making plays when [they] matter most, and he’s served us very well as a franchise. And I think we’ve got a nice track record of extending the players that are important to us, and Brandon’s the guy we want to keep around for a long time.” The 49ers might do something with Brandon Aiyuk during this offseason, and there's a report that they are talking about a deal with Jacksonville., hurt for two games and parts of others.
Lynch said back at the NFL draft combine that Aiyuk remains a priority. It just will be difficult to fit him into the team’s already top-heavy salary structure.
“We have some challenges,” Lynch said, per Pro Football Talk. “We have a lot of good players, a lot of good players who we’ve rewarded. Brandon’s one that we think incredibly highly of, one of my favorite guys around our building, the way he approaches the game. He’s a competitor. He’s a warrior. He plays with such physicality, also with grace, in the way some of the positions his body can get into.
“And then he’s got a flair for making plays when [they] matter most, and he’s served us very well as a franchise. And I think we’ve got a nice track record of extending the players that are important to us, and Brandon’s the guy we want to keep around for a long time.”
