The San Francisco 49ers are willing to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a first-round pick in the 2024 – but they have a steep price that rival teams will have to meet if a deal is to be done.
There was reportedly tension between San Francisco and the 26 year old after February’s Super Bowl LVIII defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime. Aiyuk only caught three passes for 49 yards in the 25-22 loss, which led to frustration from his camp over how he was being used.
“Don’t forget what got you there,” Aiyuk said in a mysterious Instagram Story. And his girlfriend Rochelle Searight followed up on TikTok: “This might be the last day that we touch foot on Levi’s Stadium, me and Brandon. Because we might not be out here next season.”
However, Aiyuk is not a free agent this offseason, and the only way he can leave the 49ers is via a trade – because San Francisco picked up his fifth-year option, guaranteeing him an annual salary of $14 million.
According to The Athletic, San Francisco will listen to trade offers for Aiyuk throughout the first round of next month’s NFL Draft – the first round being their asking price. However they are not desperate and won’t let him go for less than they want, just like they did with Deebo Samuel when they received offers from the New York Jets and the Detroit Lions.
Apparently, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who recently acquired two quarterbacks – Russell Wilson and Justin Fields – and the New England Patriots are both interested in bringing Aiyuk on board. The Patriots, who currently have the third overall NFL Draft pick, are likely to use it on a quarterback, with LSU’s Jayden Daniels being a top choice.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are 20th on the board in the first round. NFL.com predicts that Pittsburgh will draft offensive tackle Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma.
Other teams might also decide to join the race for Aiyuk, like the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are 17th on the board and in need of receiver The team lost Calvin Ridley to the Tennessee Titans but did bring in ex-Buffalo Bills receiver Gabe Davis.
If the Jaguars stick with Gabe Davis, Zay Jones, and Christian Kirk, it could spell trouble for them in 2024. Adding Aiyuk, who has averaged nearly 100 targets a season, could significantly improve Trevor Lawrence’s offense.
They might also consider using future draft stock to tempt the 49ers into a trade and give any prospective rookie QB an offensive weapon.
