Brandon Aiyuk Rumors: Patriots Inquired About 49ers WR; SF Doesn’t Plan to Trade Star

Adam WellsJuly 16, 2024

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The saga between the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk hit another inflection point on Tuesday when the star receiver reportedly requested a trade amid his desire for a long-term contract extension.

Per NFL insider Josina Anderson, the New England Patriots were told Aiyuk wasn’t being traded when they made an inquiry to the 49ers about the 26-year-old.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that all of the teams that have attempted to make trade inquiries to the 49ers have been told they have no intention of dealing Aiyuk.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Aiyuk officially requested a trade because the 49ers haven’t been willing to engage in contract talks since May.

Mike Garafolo @MikeGarafoloSource: #49ers All-Pro WR Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade after an offseason of unsuccessful attempts to reach an extension.

Despite a recent meeting, the Niners haven’t been willing to engage in negotiations since May so Aiyuk has respectfully asked out. pic.twitter.com/EWxYMvsHch

This is a bit of a strange move for Aiyuk after Garafolo previously reported the two sides were ” no closer to a deal” but “also no closer to a trade request” after an in-person meeting.

That’s not necessarily the most optimistic take, but nothing has seemingly changed at this point to force a shift. It’s possible this is meant to be a leverage play by Aiyuk and his camp, especially since Tuesday is when the 49ers open training camp for their rookies.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will certainly be asked about Aiyuk’s situation if they talk to reporters today. Veterans will report to camp for the 49ers on July 23.

It’s unclear at this point if Aiyuk will show up or hold out when camp begins next week. The gap between what Aiyuk wants and what the 49ers have offered appears to be around $4 million annually

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in May that Aiyuk wants to beat the $30 million per season that Amon-Ra St. Brown got on his four-year extension from the Detroit Lions.

Per Michael Silver of The San Francisco Chronicle on KNBR’s Papa & Lund (h/t Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports Bay Area), the 49ers’ offer to Aiyuk was “in the $26 million range” annually.

St. Brown, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and Tyreek Hill are currently the only wide receivers making $30 million per season. A $26 million average annual salary would be sandwiched between Cooper Kupp ($26.7 million) and DeVonta Smith ($25 million) as the eighth-highest-paid player at the position.

The 49ers are in a tricky spot right now because they already have Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams playing on big-money contracts.

Brock Purdy will be extension eligible next offseason, and the team has made no secret they are planning for his next contract.

Of course, the 49ers are also accustomed to trade requests. They went through it with Samuel two years ago and kicker Robbie Gould prior to the 2019 season. Neither player was moved and they eventually signed long-term deals.

Given Aiyuk’s importance to the offense, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a similar situation plays out. San Francisco tends to wait until training camp before signing its top players to extensions.

Bosa was a holdout last year and didn’t get a deal done until Sept. 6, four days before the first game of the regular season.

Aiyuk will earn $14.1 million this season in the fifth year of his rookie contract. The Arizona State alum finished with a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and ranked second in the NFL with 17.9 yards per reception in 2023.