The Brandon Aiyuk saga has been never-ending this offseason for the San Francisco 49ers. With Aiyuk recently officially requesting a trade, the questions once again come up: Will he be traded? Who will he be traded to? What will the 49ers get? Let’s dive into five potential trade offers San Francisco could see for Aiyuk.
Potential Trade Proposals for Brandon Aiyuk
Trade talks have followed Aiyuk since before the request, with contract negotiations having stalled due to the 49ers not wanting to pay him the amount he’s looking for, which sits around the $28 million per year range due in part to the surge the wide receiver market has seen this offseason.
However, despite the high number, Pro Football Talk reported that five teams were ready to pay that price and offered San Francisco trade packages, with the team rejecting all of them. One of those offers declined was a second-round pick from the New England Patriots.
Washington Commanders
Trade: 49ers receive WR Jahan Dotson, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick; Commanders receive WR Brandon Aiyuk
If it were entirely up to Aiyuk, the Commanders would likely be his landing spot. Friends with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, Aiyuk has been open about his interest in Washington. However, due to the 49ers’ steep price request, Washington would likely have to send one of its current wide receivers in addition to draft capital.
Earlier this offseason, Aiyuk posted a video of him talking to Daniels about his situation with the 49ers.
Brandon Aiyuk’s post on TikTok…👀
*On FaceTime with Jayden Daniels*
Daniels: “What happened bro”
Aiyuk: “They said they don’t want me back…I swear” pic.twitter.com/d2ldVFHWa9
— OffSzn (@jpet82) June 17, 2024
Opting to keep Terry McLaurin, who provides a reliable option for Daniels, the Commanders could ship off former first-round pick Jahan Dotson instead. With Aiyuk replacing Dotson, Washington would upgrade its roster and pair Daniels with Aiyuk once again, reminiscent of their Arizona State days.
For the 49ers, they would receive the second-round pick that teams have been offering, which could be fairly high in the round if the Commanders don’t perform well, along with a fifth-round selection.
For Dotson, this trade would give San Francisco another opportunity to develop a former first-rounder into a star. In Aiyuk’s first two seasons, he had 1,574 yards and 10 touchdowns. Dotson, on the other hand, has accumulated 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns.
With Kyle Shanahan’s system and Brock Purdy throwing the ball, Dotson could potentially experience a similar third-year leap as Aiyuk did.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Trade: 49ers receive 2025 first-round pick, 2025-fifth-round pick; Steelers receive WR Brandon Aiyuk
While the Commanders seem like Aiyuk’s preferred landing spot, the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin also appear to be a favored option, with mutual interest reported.
In this trade scenario, San Francisco would receive a 2025 first-round pick, likely falling in the middle of the round depending on the Steelers’ performance, and Pittsburgh would acquire Aiyuk.
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For the Steelers, Aiyuk would slot in as the outside receiver opposite George Pickens, replacing Van Jefferson. Despite five seasons in the NFL, Jefferson has only surpassed 370 yards once in his career (2021). With Aiyuk in his spot, Pittsburgh would provide Russell Wilson with two 1,000+ yard receivers on the outside.
San Francisco wouldn’t receive any player compensation in this trade, but the draft value should more than make up for it. With no receiver included in the trade package, rookie Ricky Pearsall and veteran Jauan Jennings would look to fill the void left by Aiyuk.
New England Patriots
Trade: 49ers receive WR Tyquan Thornton, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick; Patriots receive WR Brandon Aiyuk
As mentioned earlier, the Patriots have already attempted to acquire Aiyuk with a second-round pick, but that offer wasn’t sufficient. Consequently, they’ll add third-year receiver Tyquan Thornton and a 2025 fourth-rounder to the deal in return for Aiyuk.
With Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas as their top returning receivers, the Patriots have been striving to secure a top wide receiver all offseason, having missed out on Calvin Ridley in free agency.
Although New England drafted Ja’Lynn Polk in Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Aiyuk would be the team’s top WR and could provide either Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett with a reliable, potent downfield threat.
For the 49ers, Thornton offers a speedy receiver they can attempt to develop into a rotational piece, while Pearsall and Jennings handle the starting roles. In two seasons, Thornton has caught just 35 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns. However, his 4.28 40-yard dash time and 6’2″ height could be very intriguing to San Francisco.
The Niners also receive draft capital that could become even more valuable if the Patriots don’t find much success in 2024.
Buffalo Bills
Trade: 49ers receive 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-round pick; Bills receive WR Brandon Aiyuk
Following the departure of Stefon Diggs, who has anchored the Bills’ WR room for the last four years and was key in Josh Allen’s development, Buffalo has been trying to replace his production.
The Bills have drafted Keon Coleman and brought in Curtis Samuel through free agency. However, Aiyuk could directly replace Diggs’ production and potentially be an upgrade, seeing as he’s younger and outproduced Diggs in 2023.
As a result, Buffalo sends a first-round and a third-round pick to acquire Aiyuk. The 49ers, unwilling to give him up easily, receive valuable draft capital to bolster the WR room and the rest of the team down the road. Meanwhile, Pearsall and Jennings hold down the receiving corps in the interim.
New York Jets
Trade: 49ers receive 2025 first-round pick, 2025 third-round pick; Jets receive WR Brandon Aiyuk
The 2024 New York Jets are the definition of a team going all in: They want to win now.
With Aaron Rodgers returning healthy, the Jets could consider bringing Aiyuk in to improve their offense.
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With focus on the now, New York parts ways with a first and a third-round selection in 2025, something the 49ers would see as hard to decline.
Joining Mike Williams and Garrett Wilson, Aiyuk would likely replace Xavier Gipson and start in the slot. With those three, if healthy, Rodgers would have one of the best receiving groups of his career from top to bottom.