Brandon Aiyuk has demanded a trade from the San Francisco 49ers, as confirmed by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. This comes right before the team is set to start training camp in preparation for the 2024 season.
Teams have reached out to the 49ers about a possible trade for Aiyuk but have been told San Francisco has no plans to deal him, according to ESPN, which also reported that Aiyuk either wants to get paid relative to the NFL’s other top wideouts or be traded. The 49ers, however, do not want to do either, per the report.
The wide receiver’s trade request has been a long time coming. For months, Aiyuk’s future with the team has been speculated on given his and the 49ers’ inability to come to terms on a contract extension. Despite a desire on both sides to get a deal done, Aiyuk still does not have a long-term deal and remains under contract via his fifth-year option.
The two sides were reportedly close to getting a deal done earlier this offseason, but that was before the receiver market skyrocketed after Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins each signed hefty new extensions.
Given what has recently transpired, it’s likely that Aiyuk wants an extension that is similar to the ones his peers recently signed, which would pay him somewhere in the ballpark of $30 million annually. Aiyuk, who is currently slated to make $14.124 million this season under his option, has a projected market value of $26.5 million annually, according to Spotrac.
Aiyuk has taken matters into his own hands in recent weeks. He recently said he would like to play for either the Commanders or the Steelers if the 49ers decided to part with him. At that time, Aiyuk specifically mentioned his desire to possibly join forces with Commanders rookie quarterback and former college teammate Jayden Daniels. Aiyuk has also shared video of him watching Commanders film via social media.
While losing a player of his magnitude would hurt (Aiyuk caught a combined 153 passes for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns the past two seasons), the 49ers offense should still be a formidable group even without Aiyuk. San Francisco’s offense still has some of the top players at their positions, including running back Christian McCaffrey, left tackle Trent Williams, tight end George Kittle and wideout Deebo Samuel.
49ers general manager John Lynch added to his offense’s depth during the draft with the selection of former Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall in the first round. Lynch also extended the contract of veteran receiver Jauan Jennings earlier this offseason.
The 49ers, though, would surely rather keep Aiyuk on board for another run at the Super Bowl in 2024. But if they are unable to, the 49ers will receive significant assets in return for Aiyuk if they trade him sometime between now and the NFL’s trade deadline this fall.