Early-Season Brandon Aiyuk Return In Play; Latest On 49ers’ Jordan Mason Trade
Thanks in large part to the $22.85MM roster bonus that vested on April 1, along with the fact that his contract and recent ACL tear have cratered his trade value, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will be back with the 49ers in 2025 as both player and team attempt to rebound from a forgettable 2024 season. We recently heard Aiyuk was targeting a return midway through the 2025 slate, but there is some hope he could be back even earlier, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.
“I don’t know,” Kyle Shanahan said at this year’s league meetings. “It’s too early to tell. The goal is always early. You hope to have him right away. We were told by his doctor there’s a chance. But it’s too early in the process and we’ll see when we get closer to training camp and see what it looks like.”
Confirming Aiyuk’s recovery is coming along as planned, GM John Lynch added, “[w]e’re pleased with Brandon’s progress. He’s been working hard and got good reviews from [surgeon] Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache. That was a key marker, as I mentioned it would be. He did well.”
San Francisco lost a great deal of notable talent this offseason thanks to cap constraints, and it also traded away longtime WR Deebo Samuel. After authorizing a four-year, $120MM extension for Aiyuk in August 2024 – on the heels of the receiver’s 75/1,342/7 showing in 2023 – the Niners were reportedly open to dealing the Arizona State product this year as well. While it would not have taken much to convince Lynch to agree to a trade, it seems that even a buy-low offer did not come in.
Meanwhile, Lynch did execute a trade with the Vikings, sending running back Jordan Mason to Minnesota in exchange for a 2026 sixth-rounder and a Day 3 pick swap in the 2025 draft. While the deal may have been motivated in part by finances – the 49ers had applied the second-round RFA tender to Mason, which would have paid him a fully guaranteed $5.3MM in 2025 – the presence of fellow RB Isaac Guerendo also played a role.
“I was impressed with how tough he competed, how hard he ran,” Shanahan said of Guerendo (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required)). “I think he ran harder as the year went (on), which is a really good sign for guys. Because if you run less hard as the year goes on you’re probably not going to be running it too much in the future. I was impressed with the mentality he had.”
That said, injuries have frequently forced Shanahan to plumb the depths of his RB depth chart during his tenure as the Niners’ HC. With the injury-prone Christian McCaffrey due back as the club’s RB1, the 49ers still should be considered likely to use this deep draft class to further bolster this position, Barrows adds. Though, Guerendo flashed at points during an intriguing rookie year.
Labeling Guerendo as a player with a “bright future,” Shanahan observed the fourth-round pick average five yards per carry and 10.1 per reception. The Wisconsin product totaled 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns during a start against the Bears while adding 99- and 85-yard showings prior to that outing. Guerendo suffered an MCL sprain and a sprained ankle late in the season. By trading Mason, the 49ers dealt away a key backup option. While they are set to turn to a player who clocked a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time at the 2024 Combine, more help will likely be en route soon.
McCaffrey had held up for the 49ers between the October 2022 trade and Super Bowl LVIII, but last season reminded of the injury issues the dynamic starter experienced as a Panther. Guerendo should be expected to see steady work off the bench in 2025, and it will be interesting if the 49ers make a notable addition to further insure this position group. Patrick Taylor and Israel Abanikanda round out the 49ers’ RB contingent.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan To Visit Patriots, Saints, Cowboys
First-round wide receiver prospect Tetairoa McMillan has secured visits with the Patriots, Saints, and Cowboys, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Wilson also confirms the previously-reported McMillan-Panthers summit.
McMillan’s size (6-4, 219), catch radius, and ability to make contested catches are among his chief selling points, while his lack of deep speed and inability to create consistent separation – which is why he needed to make so many contested grabs – have caused some concern. The highest recruit in the history of the Arizona football program, McMillan averaged 87 catches for 1,360.5 yards and nine TDs for the Wildcats over the past two seasons. He finished his college career with a 16.1 yards-per-catch average, thus illustrating his ability to make big plays downfield despite the fact that he is not a blazing runner.
After a long search that saw the team make aggressive pursuits for Brandon Aiyuk and Chris Godwin over the last year, New England finally landed a quality, veteran wideout when it signed Stefon Diggs last month. Nonetheless, Diggs is coming off a platform campaign cut short by an ACL tear, and between the injury and the fact that he is entering his age-32 season, there is reason to believe he will not return to his peak level of performance.
As such, it would not be surprising to see the Pats add more top-tier talent at the skill positions to aid in second-year quarterback Drake Maye’s development. On the other hand, new head coach Mike Vrabel has said addressing the club’s offensive and defensive lines would be a top offseason priority, and blockers like LSU’s Will Campbell and Missouri’s Armand Membou have been consistently linked to New England as possible solutions for the team’s glaring left tackle need.
Either of those OTs are realistic targets for the Pats and their No. 4 pick, though McMillan is unlikely to be selected that high. But, if the Pats find a trade-down opportunity to their liking, McMillan could become an option.
The Saints bolstered their WR corps by reuniting with Brandin Cooks this offseason, and they also return Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. However, all three players missed significant time due to injury in 2024, so another receiver addition would not come as a shock. Still, New Orleans has more pressing needs, including a long-term quarterback. While the club could still target a passer with its second-round pick – by which time McMillan is likely to be long gone – a QB like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart are legitimate possibilities for the Saints’ No. 9 overall pick.
Dallas, Cooks’ most recent employer, has confirmed that it is in the market for a WR to complement CeeDee Lamb, and McMillan could be a fit for the club’s No. 12 selection. The team recently met with several other high-end WR prospects, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka and Texas’ Matthew Golden, though the Cowboys could see running back as a bigger need.
Browns, Giants Have Inquired About Trading For No. 1 Pick; Titans Never Considered Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers?
APRIL 13: Zac Jackson of The Athletic (subscription required) says the Titans appear sold on Ward. League sources have praised Ward’s maturity and the steady improvements he made over the course of his collegiate career, which leads clubs to believe he can thrive at the professional level.
Russini, on a recent episode of her Scoop City podcast, says it would take an historic offer to convince Tennessee to trade out of the No. 1 overall spot and forego its shot at Ward (video link). Russini adds that the reports of the Titans’ faith in Ward are real and are not part of the club’s effort to drive up the price for the top pick in the draft.
APRIL 6: The Browns and Giants, both still in need of a long-term quarterback despite offseason bridge additions, have inquired about trading up with the Titans to obtain the No. 1 overall pick in this month’s draft, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required). We had previously heard Tennessee was fielding calls on that front, and it only makes sense that Cleveland (which presently holds the No. 2 overall pick) and New York (No. 3) would at least see what it would take to make a swap and put themselves in position to land Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the top QB in the 2025 class.
Less than two months ago, many around the league believed the rebuilding Titans would look to trade down, and the Giants were arguably the team most connected to a possible move up the board. The Browns, meanwhile, have been more closely linked to a Kirk Cousins pursuit than a trade for the No. 1 selection, with GM Andrew Berry recently confirming he is unlikely to swing a deal with Tennessee.
Interestingly, Howe says the Titans have not even determined what sort of compensation they would require to move down the board, which further strengthens the prevailing notion that they will select Ward with the top pick. And, contrary to pre-free agency rumors on the matter, Howe says Tennessee never got involved in the Sam Darnold sweepstakes, and he confirms the same is true of Aaron Rodgers. Of course, that represents yet another sign that Ward is Nashville-bound.
Recent reporting has pegged Cleveland as the likely destination for two-way phenom Travis Hunter, and the Giants – who have long been intrigued by Hunter’s collegiate teammate, quarterback Shedeur Sanders – would thus be in position to nab the polarizing passer. That would align with the belief that Big Blue is “praying” Cleveland takes a non-QB like Hunter so that Sanders will fall to No. 3.
On the other hand, New York is said to be “convinced” Cleveland – its professed comfort in having Kenny Pickett assume QB1 duties notwithstanding – will be the team to take Sanders. The Browns did indeed plan a private workout for Sanders, and according to Howe, the Giants will also meet again with the second-generation star prior to the draft.
With Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston having been added to the QB room in free agency, and with Wilson seemingly in the driver’s seat to serve as the starting quarterback regardless of how the draft unfolds, Giants GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll, who are both clinging to their jobs, may prefer to use the No. 3 pick on a player who can help the team win now rather than a high-upside project like Sanders. To that end, one team picking in the top-10 has told Howe that New York seems to be cooling on the idea of adding a signal-caller with its top draft choice.
Considering the Browns-Hunter connections that have recently emerged — supported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who says she no longer believes Cleveland will take a QB (video link) — Howe says if the Giants do not select Sanders with the No. 3 pick, they would likely take Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter (assuming Ward and Hunter are off the board by that time). Carter is seen as one of the draft’s best all-around prospects, and New York is one of the four clubs (along with the Titans, Browns, and Patriots) that secured a visit with him. That said, as our Sam Robinson noted when it became clear the Giants would host Carter, they are the team on Carter’s itinerary that would seemingly need him the least, given the presence of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Carter is nonetheless a blue chip talent, and if Hunter is gone by the time the Giants are on the clock, and if New York does not believe Sanders represents the best player available at No. 3, there is logic in nabbing the Penn State product. Or, if they feel Carter is not a great fit, the Giants could trade down themselves in an effort to collect more draft capital.
Saints Host Louisville QB Tyler Shough
The Saints had planned to start Derek Carr at quarterback in 2025, but Carr’s shoulder malady – which may impact his regular season availability – could increase the club’s urgency to select a passer in the upcoming draft. Per Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, the Saints hosted Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough on a “30” visit on the same day news of Carr’s injury surfaced.
Even before the Carr development, New Orleans was at least connected to the possibility of drafting a QB with its first-round pick (No. 9 overall). As even casual NFL observers likely know by now, however, this year’s collegiate class of signal-callers is not considered a strong one, and with the Saints in dire need of cost-controlled talent throughout the roster, a Day 2 swing on a player like Texas’ Quinn Ewers has seemed like a more realistic possibility.
In the initial round of reports concerning Carr’s shoulder, Dianna Russini of The Athletic said New Orleans was not surprised by the possibility that the 34-year-old could require surgery. So while Duncan implies the meeting with Shough may be directly related to the Carr news, the team may have been planning to host the fast-rising prospect anyway.
And despite Shough generating a fair amount of pre-draft buzz and securing visits with a number of clubs in need of both short-and long-term QB answers, it would still be surprising to see him selected in the top-10. If the Saints opt for a Day 1 passer, a player like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart would appear to represent better value. Although there is some disagreement about the likelihood of a Saints-Sanders connection, a number of mock drafts (including ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s most recent offering) project exactly that.
Perhaps the biggest knock on Shough is his age. Thanks to relaxed transfer and eligibility rules, the Oregon recruit was in college for seven years – also suiting up for Texas Tech and Louisville along the way – and he will turn 26 shortly after the 2025 season kicks off. He nonetheless seems like a safe bet to hear his name called in the second round of the draft, if not sooner.
In his first and only season with Louisville in 2024, Shough completed 62.7% of his passes and threw for 3,195 yards and 23 TDs against six interceptions. After battling injuries during the three prior seasons with the Red Raiders, the fact that he remained healthy in 2024 was a notable development for him. Along with his age, durability will be a concern for interested teams, though his size and arm talent have created plenty of intrigue.
Eagles Unlikely To Retain TE Dallas Goedert Absent Pay Cut
Several weeks ago, we heard the Eagles were interested in trading tight end Dallas Goedert. One report that surfaced at the time indicated the only way Goedert returns to Philadelphia in 2025 is if he accepts a pay cut.
ESPN’s Tim McManus offers more support for that notion, saying it is difficult to envision the Eagles retaining Goedert at his current rate of pay. Although the 30-year-old TE is only due a $1.25MM base salary for 2025 – the last year of his current deal – his option bonus of nearly $14MM is seemingly driving the club’s willingness to seek a trade (h/t Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia).
As McManus implies, the Eagles – who already have sizable commitments on the books for skill-position talent like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley – may not view Goedert as a core part of their future. As such, they are apparently looking to extract some value for him now rather than simply allowing him to walk in free agency in 2026.
In addition to the option bonus, the fact that Goedert has missed 15 games due to injury over the past five seasons is also working against him, per McManus. On the other hand, he has remained a valuable contributor both as a blocker and receiver, and Philadelphia does not have an obvious replacement on the roster (their recent additions of Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson notwithstanding). The top free agent tight ends have long been taken off the board, and the reigning Super Bowl champs will likely not be in a position to draft one of this year’s elite TE prospects absent a significant trade-up from their No. 32 pick.
The Eagles are not setting a high bar in trade talks. They are reportedly seeking a fourth-round selection in exchange for Goedert, and they are said to be willing to accept a 2026 or 2027 pick to facilitate a deal. The actual cash outlay aside, only a post-June 1 trade (or release) would yield any savings on the 2025 cap sheet. But even a post-June 1 transaction of some kind would only create a 2025 savings of roughly $4MM.
Still, it sounds like Goedert may have already played his last snap in an Eagles uniform. At last week’s league meetings, head coach Nick Sirianni was asked whether he wants his TE1 back. Sirianni simply replied, “[r]ight now, he’s on our football team.”
Without some sort of contract restructure, that may not be the case for much longer.
Raiders To Cut CB Jack Jones
Jack Jones started more games at cornerback than any other Raider last season, but he will not be back with Las Vegas in 2025. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Las Vegas is cutting Jones, which follows a report from Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal indicating the club was first attempting to trade him. Bonsignore said the Raiders would cut Jones if they could not find a trade partner by tomorrow, and it appears no suitor emerged.
A fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2022, Jones entered the league with a history of disciplinary issues dating back to his time at college. However, he delivered a promising rookie season, logging a 54% snap share and recording a pair of interceptions, six passes defensed, and one forced fumble. He also allowed a modest completion percentage of 54% as the nearest defender in coverage.
A July 2023 arrest for trying to bring a loaded gun onto a plane foreshadowed a difficult 2023 slate for Jones. Although the criminal charges were later dropped as part of an agreement with prosecutors, Jones started that season on IR due to a hamstring injury, and he fell out of favor with then-HC Bill Belichick halfway through the campaign (thanks in part to a missed curfew). He was subsequently waived and attracted interest from at least two teams on the waiver wire.
Las Vegas had the highest waiver priority among the Jones claimants, so the team was able to reunite the player with then-head coach Antonio Pierce, who also coached Jones in high school at Long Beach Poly High and then in college at Arizona State. Jones played well in a seven-game audition with the Raiders to close out the 2023 season, and he won a starting job last summer.
In his first season as a full-time starter (16 starts, 94% snap share), Jones struggled. In the estimation of Pro Football Focus, he finished as the 102nd-best corner out of 116 qualified players, and he yielded a 62.8% completion percentage and 98.5 QB rating as the nearest defender. Plus, with Pierce having received his walking papers this offseason, there were no personal ties that might have allowed Jones to stick around.
After the impending Jones departure, Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson, and free agent addition Eric Stokes comprise the top of the Raiders’ CB depth chart. Of course, the club could look to bolster that group in the draft.
Because Jones’ $3.4MM salary for 2025 is not guaranteed, his departure will result in the full amount of that salary being credited back to Las Vegas’ cap.
Falcons Owner Arthur Blank On Draft Approach; Team Hosted Texas LT Kelvin Banks Jr.
4:55pm: D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, to no surprise, the Falcons have “heavily scouted” the top edge rushers in the 2025 class. The same is also true, however, of offensive tackles. That helps explain Atlanta’s interest in Banks, whom Ledbetter projects to the Falcons in his latest mock draft. Considerable focus on the defensive side of the ball would come as no surprise, but other options appear to be on the table regarding the first round.
11:55am: The Falcons finished in the bottom-10 in terms of both total defense and scoring defense in 2024, so they are widely projected to pick a defensive player in the first round of this month’s draft. Owner Arthur Blank recently offered further support for that belief.
“The emphasis during the draft will be certainly on the defensive side of the ball,” Blank said at last week’s league meetings (via Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com). “It’s pretty obvious to everybody, I would say.”
Atlanta fired one-and-done defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake this offseason and replaced him with Jeff Ulbrich. One of Ulbrich’s primary tasks will be coaxing more production out of a pass rush that finished with the second-fewest sacks in the league (31) last season, and to that end, the team has held visits with potential first-round EDGE talents like Marshall’s Mike Green and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart.
Of course, the Falcons are not limiting their pre-draft evaluations to defensive players. Interestingly, the team recently held a private workout with Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., per longtime Longhorn beat writer Brian Davis. Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot and HC Raheem Morris were in attendance.
Banks is currently ranked as the 31st-best prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s latest big board, and Jeremiah says some clubs view Banks as a guard at the professional level. That said, he certainly has the talent to stick as a tackle, and many recent mocks project him to be selected in the first half of the first round. The Falcons presently hold the No. 15 pick and could therefore be in position to select Banks with that choice, but he is likely to be gone by the time Atlanta is back on the clock with its No. 46 pick.
The Falcons have invested considerable draft capital and dollars into their O-line, and they currently have Jake Matthews set to reprise his long-standing role as their starting LT. Matthews, 33, may be nearing the end of his career, but the team recently authorized an extension that keeps him under club control through 2028.
On the right side, Banks could serve as a near-future replacement for RT Kaleb McGary, who is entering the final year of his contract and whose trade or release would yield considerable cap savings. But McGary currently operates as the blindside protector for second-year quarterback and southpaw Michael Penix Jr., so it is unclear if the team would be comfortable plugging a rookie into that post right away.
Even if the Falcons are one of the teams that view Banks as an interior blocker, he may not see immediate playing time if he were to land in Atlanta. The team currently has 2023 second-rounder Matthew Bergeron penciled in at left guard after he turned in a quality 2024 season, and right guard Chris Lindstrom is coming off his third straight Pro Bowl campaign and is (like Matthews) under contract through 2028.
With so many resources tied up in their offensive front already and with so many needs on defense, the Falcons were forced to let center Drew Dalman walk in free agency (Dalman signed a three-year, $42MM contract with the Bears). However, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the team is perfectly content to have Ryan Neuzil, who started a career-high eight games last year in relief of an injured Dalman, serve as Penix’s full-time snapper. Per Ledbetter, both Morris and Fontenot have spoken highly of Neuzil’s abilities.
At Least Six Teams Planning Private Workout For Penn State TE Tyler Warren
APRIL 6: Warren only has one official top-30 visit on deck, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. In a further sign of how highly regarded he is, Schultz adds one team set to select in the top 10 has canceled its private workout with Warren. A long wait on the opening night of the draft should not be expected.
MARCH 30: Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is seen as one of the top players at his position in this year’s draft class, and many pundits view him as the best TE option. As such, Warren joined college teammate and fellow first-round prospect Abdul Carter in sitting out the Nittany Lions’ Pro Day on Friday, with Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com reporting Warren will instead work out for a handful of interested clubs prior to the draft.
Pauline refers to Warren as an “acquired taste” and says not every team has him as the premier TE in the 2025 pool. At least one club views last year’s John Mackey Award winner as the fourth-best tight end in the class, and draftniks like Pauline and ESPN’s Matt Miller consider him the second-best prospect behind Michigan’s Colston Loveland. NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., meanwhile, place Warren at the top of the TE hierarchy.
One way or another, Warren should hear his name called in Round 1. Pauline had previously reported that the Jets are “infatuated” with the soon-to-be 23-year-old, and he had also noted the Colts have significant interest. Unsurprisingly, then, both New York and Indianapolis – which hold the No. 7 and No. 14 overall picks, respectively – plan to bring Warren in for a private workout.
The Saints (No. 9 overall), Bears (No. 10), Chargers (No. 23), and Rams (No. 26) are also on Warren’s itinerary, per Pauline. None of those clubs have the same glaring TE need as the Jets and Colts, but with the top of the Bolts’ TE depth chart comprised of Will Dissly and new acquisition Tyler Conklin – who recently signed a modest one-year accord – a high-ceiling addition would make sense there. Likewise, the Rams’ Tyler Higbee is eligible for free agency next year and is entering his age-32 campaign, which makes both Los Angeles outfits logical Warren suitors.
It would be somewhat surprising to see Warren fall beyond Indianapolis’ No. 14 pick, because even clubs not named in Pauline’s report (like the Cowboys and their No. 12 selection) profile as legitimate destinations. Encouraged by Brock Bowers’ stunning rookie performance for the Raiders in 2024, clubs with immediate holes to fill at the TE spot could look to Warren as both a short- and long-term fix. The Colts coveted Bowers last season – he was nabbed by Las Vegas two picks before Indianapolis went on the clock – and they may not allow their preferred tight end prospect in 2025 to get away if he is still on the board.
In his final collegiate season, Warren – whose ability to get open underneath and create yards after the catch remind evaluators like Miller (subscription required) of Bowers – posted 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight scores. As a Wildcat threat, he added four rushing TDs and one passing TD for good measure.
Jets To Explore Extensions For CB Sauce Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson, OL Alijah Vera-Tucker After Draft
Two members of the Jets’ young core, foundational talents Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson, are extension-eligible for the first time. While new deals for the club’s top two selections of the 2022 draft are not imminent, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv expects negotiations to commence at some point after this month’s draft.
Hughes had previously reported that the Gardner talks are likely to be straightforward. Despite a bit of a regression in his third professional season, there is seemingly no concern over Gardner’s ability to regain the elite form he displayed in his first two campaigns. As such, he is going to reset the cornerback market, which is currently paced by Derek Stingley’s new deal with the Texans that features a $30MM AAV and roughly $48MM in full guarantees.
Coming to terms on a price point for Wilson could prove more difficult. Wilson has had to make do with poor to mediocre quarterback play since entering the league, so even though he has managed to record over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three NFL seasons, he is not viewed as a player who will top the exploding WR market. Hughes spoke with a few league sources who predicted the Ohio State product would land an AAV between $25MM-$30MM whenever he puts pen to paper.
As of the time of this writing, that would put Wilson somewhere between the 7th- and 12th-highest-paid earner at the receiver position. Tyreek Hill and Brandon Aiyuk earn $30MM per year (with Amon-Ra St. Brown barely above that threshold), while DeVonta Smith earns $25MM per year.
Sometimes forgotten in the extension rumors is offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, a 2021 first-rounder who is entering the fifth-year option season of his rookie deal and is presently on track for free agency in 2026. ESPN’s Rich Cimini says new GM Darren Mougey will also examine Vera-Tucker’s contract situation after the upcoming draft.
AVT missed significant time due to injury in 2022 and 2023 but rebounded to play 15 games last season. When he has been on the field, he has been a quality blocker and has seen action and both tackle spots and both guard spots.
That said, he only covered LT and RT as a result of injuries to other players, and last year, he lined up exclusively at RG. It sounds like he will stay there for the long haul, as Mougey says he views Vera-Tucker as a guard (via Hughes). So even though the club currently has a glaring need at right tackle, Mougey will need to address that need in some other way.
Running back Breece Hall is unlikely to be the subject of offseason extension talks, as was reported previously. The contract-year back has yet to regain the level of explosiveness he displayed in his injury-shortened rookie year, and new head coach Aaron Glenn wants to utilize an RB-by-committee approach that features Hall, Braelon Allen, and Isaiah Davis (via Cimini). That would stand to limit Hall’s production in his platform season, and as Cimini observes, Glenn’s comments could certainly fuel trade speculation.
Despite Hall’s inability to recapture his 2022 form, Cimini believes he would generate interest from rival teams.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk On Track For Midseason Return; Trade Unlikely To Happen After 4/1?
APRIL 2: Lynch effectively confirmed the 49ers do not intend to trade Aiyuk. As the Tuesday bonus vesting date has come and gone — meaning the $76MM fully guaranteed to Aiyuk has now triggered (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) — San Francisco will move forward with its 2024 extension recipient.
MARCH 30: A report from FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz several days ago indicated the 49ers, who have seen salary cap constraints trigger a mass exodus of talent this offseason, are open to trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Given the lucrative extension Aiyuk signed in August and the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in October, the Niners would be selling low if they were to move him, and an unofficial deadline in that regard is fast approaching.
As Schultz observed in his report and as ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed on a recent episode of his podcast (h/t Kyle Posey of Niners Nation), Aiyuk has a $22.85MM roster bonus due on April 1. Schefter cannot envision a scenario in which San Francisco pays out that bonus and then trades Aiyuk at any point in 2025, particularly when the wideout’s value is at its nadir.
Instead, assuming the April 1 “deadline” passes without a trade having been consummated, Schefter expects the 49ers will simply wait for Aiyuk to get healthy and display the same high-end ability that landed him a four-year, $120MM contract last year and that made him such a sought-after trade commodity prior to the contract being signed. The Niners have already traded Deebo Samuel, and their WR depth chart outside of Aiyuk presently consists of 2024 draftees or veteran ancillary targets, so a healthy and productive return for Aiyuk would, if nothing else, dramatically improve the club’s 2026 outlook.
On that point, Schefter says noted surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache is pleased with the progress Aiyuk has made in his recovery. It appears as if the 2020 first-rounder is on track to return to the field by the middle of the upcoming campaign, which should give San Francisco plenty of time to evaluate his future in the organization.
Schultz’s report noted the 49ers had discussed an Aiyuk trade with several teams. That jibed with an earlier report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who said — on the same day Samuel was traded — that Aiyuk was also drawing trade interest.
Schefter appears to deviate from his fellow pundits by saying there has not been much external interest in Aiyuk’s services due to his contract and injury concerns. That leads him to believes a trade will not happen, but if a WR-needy club is willing to roll the dice, the ESPN reporter confirms it would not take a significant offer to convince GM John Lynch to pull the trigger.
If such an offer does not come in the next two days, though, it seems fair to expect Lynch to retain Aiyuk through the 2025 season.