Speculation is swirling with regard to Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s future with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers wide receiver is entering the final year of his contract and has let it be known that he aspires to sign a long-term deal with them. The issue is that the 49ers don’t have enough salary cap to sign Aiyuk to a long term deal as his market value is roughly 20-24 million a year. At this year’s NFL scouting combine, 49ers general manager John Lynch endorsed the idea of Aiyuk remaining in San Francisco. Lynch stated, “Brandon’s one that we think incredibly highly of, one of my favorite guys around our building,” per the 49ers official website. He further added, “The way he approaches the game, he’s a competitor. He’s a warrior. He plays with such a physicality, also with a grace, the way some of the positions his body can get into.” Despite Lynch’s statements about Aiyuk, there are various rumours that the wide receiver could be on his way out of San Francisco. Aiyuk provoked such rumours when he tagged Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin in a post on X after being linked to the team as a potential landing spot should he leave the Niners. Aiyuk tagged coach Mike Tomlin and said “They saying we twins, what you think?”
Steelers are a potential landing spot for Aiyuk as they recently traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Panthers and they need to fill that void. Other teams that can be potential landing spots are the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, LA Chargers, Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals. The asking price for Aiyuk is pretty steep as the Jaguars have had seriously discussed a Brandon Aiyuk trade and according to Mia O’Brien of 92.5FM, the 49ers wanted Jacksonville’s first-round pick and wide receiver Zay Jones in exchange for the receiver. A first round pick is quite the asking price for a player who has one year left on his deal. Teams shouldn’t be too desperate to trade a first round pick as the 2024 NFL draft is loaded with talent at the wide receiver position.
Remember, almost four years ago to this date, the 49ers traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts for a 2020 first round pick (13th overall) after failing to work out a contract extension. The Niners couldn’t afford to keep Buckner as they were coming off a Super bowl appearance and were tight with money. Buckner wanted a long term deal but the 49ers ultimately could not afford him. 49ers ended up using the first-round pick they received to select DT Javon Kinlaw as Buckner’s replacement. Although Kinlaw didn’t work out, the 49ers had to trade Buckner at the time or lose him for nothing. This is quite the similar situation with respect to Brandon Aiyuk as the 49ers wouldn’t want to lose him for nothing.