JULY 20: Following up on his Friday report regarding Aiyuk interest around the draft, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes the Patriots offered a second-round pick when first attempting to acquire the pending free agent. That was rejected, just as New England’s most recent overture was. With Aiyuk having now requested a trade, it will be interesting to see if the Patriots continue to make offers in the near future.
JULY 16: Brandon Aiyuk having not requested a trade during months-long negotiations with the 49ers separated this situation from the 2022 Deebo Samuel saga, but given the lack of progress on terms, it certainly did not seem out of the question Aiyuk would roll out a request to be moved. With a request coming Tuesday, outside interest has re-emerged.
Count the Patriots as a team that contacted the 49ers on Aiyuk. The AFC East club attempted to discuss Aiyuk with the 49ers, per veteran insider Josina Anderson. Unsurprisingly, the 49ers shut down the talks. San Francisco, as has been the case throughout these talks — with a bit of a hiccup during draft weekend — has maintained it would retain Aiyuk.
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Notably for this particular connection, the Patriots did discuss a receiver with the 49ers during the draft. Samuel, however, became New England’s focus between the first and second rounds. Other teams, like the Bills and Steelers, looked into Samuel as well. Nothing came of it, with John Lynch soon indicating the team was past trade talks involving its starting wide receivers. The trade talks having taken place, of course, would not close the book on the reigning NFC champions revisiting them.
The Patriots used the second round to add to their receiving corps, trading down and taking Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk at No. 37. They then chose Central Florida’s Javon Baker at No. 110. The Pats, who made a strong push for Calvin Ridley, also added K.J. Osborn in free agency. This trio joins JuJu Smith-Schuster, Demario Douglas, former second-rounder Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor and the recently re-signed Kendrick Bourne in a crowded cast — albeit one lacking a surefire No. 1 target — in New England.
It has long seemed the 49ers are preparing for one more run with their current group, with cost complications coming in 2025. Brock Purdy will be come extension-eligible next year, and George Kittle‘s contract runs through 2025 as well. San Francisco does not have Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Talanoa Hufanga or Dre Greenlaw signed beyond this season. Also unsigned beyond 2024, Aiyuk could be franchise-tagged next year. But the 49ers are well over the projected cap already. San Francisco sits with the NFL’s third-worst cap situation for 2025, being — months before the 2025 cap number emerges, at least — nearly $40MM over next year.
Aiyuk’s camp can use the impact a 2025 franchise tag number would have on the team to its advantage, but so far, the 49ers are holding their ground. A report earlier this offseason indicated the 49ers were not comfortable going into the $30MM-per-year range for Aiyuk, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes the team is aiming to pay him in the $26-$27MM-per-year range. A subsequent meeting, requested by Aiyuk, did not bridge the value gap.
A deal between $26-$27MM per year checks in south of what Aiyuk wants, hence the trade request, and rumors have tied the fifth-year receiver to a price around Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s $30.01MM-AAV Lions accord. Aiyuk also has been tied to a guarantee aim beyond $80MM. That would stand to be the total guarantee ask, as only Justin Jefferson has secured more than $52MM fully guaranteed among WRs; the Vikings superstar landed $88.7MM at signing. Getting to $80MM guaranteed in total is a difficult request as well, as A.J. Brown ($84MM) is the only non-Jefferson receiver to clear that bar. St. Brown sits third for full guarantees among receivers, landing $77MM.
With Aiyuk’s 3,931 receiving yards 17th since 2020, it is understandable the 49ers are viewing the 2020 first-rounder — who has yet to be invited to a Pro Bowl event — as a non-$30MM-per-year player. The $26-$27MM AAV range would, however, put Aiyuk below where Jaylen Waddle ended up ($28MM per year, $76MM guaranteed) but higher than DeVonta Smith ($25MM, $69.99MM). That would seem a reasonable compromise, but Aiyuk did just lead a Super Bowl team in receiving by a wide margin. The 26-year-old weapon is attempting to capitalize.
A few of the 49ers’ big-ticket extensions have come to pass late in the summer. Kittle’s deal was finalized in July 2020, while Samuel held in an signed his extension in late July 2022. The Nick Bosa talks ran up to the 2023 season, but the sides reached a monster extension agreement last September.
The 49ers are disregarding Aiyuk’s trade request for the time being and will hope to complete an extension — one that moves Aiyuk from a fifth-year option salary ($14.1MM) to an agreement that makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts — before the season begins. It will be interesting, of course, to see if a team tests the 49ers’ resolve with a big trade offer.
