Brandon Aiyuk is one of the top receivers in the NFL and now he wants to get paid like one. It’s no secret that Aiyuk is not happy about his current contract situation. The 49ers star stopped following the team on Instagram and while that may not mean much it’s notable given the circumstances. The big question now is if Brandon Aiyuk is on the trade block and if so what would it take to get him?
Are the 49ers Exploring Trades for Aiyuk?
As of today, the 49ers front office is denying that they are exploring trades for Aiyuk. The key word is ‘as of today’ because this very much could change next week. With the 2024 NFL Draft coming next Thursday we could see San Francisco changing its stance and trading away their star receiver during the draft.
If they do entertain trades we can expect San Francisco to want a decent haul in return. This could include multiple draft picks in this year’s draft. Look no further than the Stefon Diggs trade for what to expect for Aiyuk.
The Bills shipped Diggs to Houston for a 2025 2nd-round pick, a 2025 5th-round pick and a 2024 6th-round pick. I believe a 2024 2nd-round pick and a 2025 mid-round pick could pique the 49ers interest. Especially if the 2nd round pick is high in that round.
Possible Brandon Aiyuk Landing Spots
If you look at the current betting odds for Aiyuk’s next team the Steelers are in the lead at +200. This makes sense as Pittsburgh is in need of more weapons after the departure of Diontae Johnson. The Steelers have the 20th pick in the first round and they could offer this for Aiyuk.
Another team to watch is the Washington Commanders. Washington is also in need of receivers and Aiyuk has ties to the new front office. Commanders GM Adam Peters drafted Aiyuk in 2020 and knows him well. Washington would then have to pay Aiyuk but they have plenty of cap space. The only hesitation I have to this scenario is the Commanders would have two high-paid receivers. Terry McLaurin has two more years left on his contract and has a cap hit of $24 million this year.
Then of course there is the Jayden Daniels connection. If you believe the rumors that the Commanders plan on drafting Daniels with the 2nd pick then pairing him with his former Arizona St. receiver makes sense. For the record, I do believe Daniels is the pick for Washington as outlined in my latest mock draft.
There will be plenty of chatter between now and the draft on Aiyuk’s future with the 49ers. If he is indeed traded I expect it to come next weekend.
