Another day, another wrinkle in the New England Patriots and Brandon Aiyuk trade chatter.
Aiyuk recently requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers, who reportedly intend to neither deal him nor give him a lucrative contract extension. New England has been connected to Aiyuk all offseason and reached out to the Niners within the last month. The Patriots — and other teams — have been told Aiyuk isn’t available.
Nevertheless, we now have details on at least one Patriots trade proposal, along with some passive input from one of New England’s best players.
49ers Reportedly Turned Down Patriots Trade Offer
Multiple reports indicated the Patriots explored an Aiyuk trade sometime around the 2024 NFL Draft. On Saturday, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio offered new details, reporting the Patriots were one of five teams that contacted San Fran before the draft and were willing to give the star wideout a new contract.
“There were five teams, we’re told, who were ready to pay Aiyuk what he wanted before the draft,” Florio wrote. “If they could also reach acceptable trade terms with the 49ers, he would have been traded.
“That part didn’t happen. It’s unclear what the 49ers wanted at the time. They rejected an offer of a second-round pick from the Patriots. Other interested teams were, and potentially still are, the Steelers and Commanders.”
MORE: 3 Creative Proposals To Send Brandon Aiyuk to New England
Florio added that, at the time of discussions, Aiyuk wanted a deal that would’ve paid him roughly $28 million annually. But that number likely has gone up thanks to recent extensions given to Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown, among others.
It’s unclear whether San Francisco’s trade price has shifted in the months since the draft.
Is a Patriots-Brandon Aiyuk Trade Possible?
Well, it’s unlikely. Unless Aiyuk is willing to hold out and lose money, he doesn’t have any leverage. He’s under contract with the 49ers, who aren’t under any obligation to trade him.
Furthermore, San Francisco should be motivated to get something done with Aiyuk, who’s coming off a 1,300-yard season and is one of the best receivers in football. He’s the only true boundary threat on the roster, and it’s fair to wonder whether Brock Purdy would be as effective without someone like Aiyuk on the field.
The 49ers are in win-now mode, and Aiyuk gives them their best shot at winning a Super Bowl.
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As for the Patriots, they’d undoubtedly be better with Aiyuk in the fold. He’d arguably make them AFC East contenders overnight while potentially accelerating Drake Maye’s development. The cost would be steep, but the payoff would be worth it.
Still, all signs point toward Aiyuk hitting free agency next March — and Tee Higgins potentially meeting him there. New England arguably should hold onto its draft picks, sign a star in free agency, and use its draft capital to address other needs, like left tackle.
Matthew Judon Promotes Patriots Trade Idea
The Patriots have their own contract drama to deal with.
Matthew Judon, arguably New England’s best player, reportedly wants a new deal and won’t play under his current contract. The situation has sparked trade speculation, including proposed deals that would send Judon to San Francisco for Aiyuk.
X platform user Brimecombe25 presented a similar idea on Saturday, calling on the Patriots to send Judon and a second-round pick to the Niners for Aiyuk and a fifth-rounder. There wasn’t any reason to bring it up — until Judon reposted it to his own X account.
Here’s the post:
There is absolutely no reason why the @Patriots haven’t traded for and extended Brandon Aiyuk yet. @man_dammn
2nd round pickFor
5th round pick
Brandon Aiyuk5 years $125m#BrandonAiyuk
We have the trade assets and the cap is only going up
Do it #ElliotWolf
— Mike Brimecombe (@brimecombe25) July 20, 2024
And here’s proof that Judon reposted it:
Of course, none of this means that Judon approves of the trade idea. He simply might’ve been reposting it for… reasons.
Regardless, his social media activity could be interpreted as yet another sign that he’s unhappy in New England and open to playing elsewhere. With the Patriots set to hold their first training camp practice on Wednesday, they’re running out of time to resolve this issue.