Superstar Receiver 'Far Apart' in Negotiations, Trade Still Possible

Superstar receiver Brandon Aiyuk is far apart in negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers and a trade is still possible this offseason. According to a source, the team is making little progress with the Arizona State product for an extension that would lock him for the next few years. Aiyuk is set to make $14.1 million next season in the final year of his rookie contract. However, at least this season, the 49ers don’t have any plans to trade him or Deebo Samuel.

San Francisco is doing some “planting seeds” after selecting Florida receiver, Ricky Pearsall in the first round. This could have indicated that they’re not looking to commit to Aiyuk or Samuel in a long-term extension. However, it seems likely that they’ll extend Aiyuk while Samuel winds up elsewhere in 2025. The receiver market has been soaring this offseason with A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown receiving long-term mega deals that keep them on the same team for a while.

The Philadelphia Eagles were able to dish out a deal for DeVonta Smith, a contract that averages $25 million per year. However, Aiyuk will probably view himself in the same strata as St. Brown and that may be the expected contract he wants. It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone if he decides to sit out for mandatory camp next month. The team starts their OTA’s this week so no one should see him participating.

The 49ers have enough offensive firepower to withhold his absence if there’s no deal reached. However, they want to avoid that since they don’t want this stretching into training camp. San Francisco has all of the tools to win a ring and the last thing they want is not having their top receiver available for week one.

Superstar Receiver Brandon Aiyuk “Far Apart” in Negotiations, Trade Still Possible

Drama May Happen

Aiyuk has been the subject of trades all offseason including during the NFL Draft where they had a few offers from teams. The Steelers were the frontrunners of those talks with Samuel included. However, the talks never went beyond the draft and the 49ers decided to keep both around for one more year. A shocking thing could happen in time for the mandatory camp that could blow the NFL out of the water.

Many should expect Aiyuk not only to hold out but Samuel as well. The 49ers would have a big problem on their hands if this were to be the result. It’s troubling considering that Jauan Jennings is entering the final year of his contract too. According to Over The Cap, Aiyuk moving on from the 49ers would help the team free up over $14 million with no dead cap.

San Francisco is in a “win now” mindset so it’s hard to imagine all of this drama may happen at the wrong moment. They were close to winning the chip last season but that probably won’t be enough for one of the best receivers wanting a bag. Here are some potential trade destinations for Aiyuk.

Potential Trade Destinations

The Ravens are the dark horse in this training camp to get an extra receiver. It probably won’t come in a trade but you never know what may happen in the league. Zay Flowers is the long-term option but adding Aiyuk alongside would give Lamar Jackson two good receivers for a long time. However, the Panthers still need some firepower to give Bryce Young a chance to prove he can be a long-term starter for Carolina.

They have Diontae Johnson but Adam Thielen only has so many years left in him. Aiyuk’s still young and additional years to his tank so they could probably take a big risk to make a trade happen if it means restoring their entire offense. This would probably get the league to start talking about the Panthers again. The Chiefs still need a reliable and proven receiver since they’ve been dealing with a curse all offseason.

Xavier Worthy looks promising but Rashee Rice will miss out on some games due to legal trouble. Kansas City trading for Aiyuk would mean they have their new WR1.