Despite Brandon Aiyuk formally requesting a trade, it doesn’t seem as if the San Francisco 49ers have much interest in dealing the star wide receiver. Given that the 49ers went to the Super Bowl last season and are once again looking to contend, moving on from Aiyuk likely isn’t in their best interest. Appearing on The PM Team on 93.7 the Fan, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said the 49ers would need to get a player and a pick to get any value for Aiyuk, and otherwise, the team will just keep him.
“They almost need to get a player plus a pick for next year in order to have some return. Because otherwise, you just pay him $14.1 million, you keep him this year, and then you figure out what you’re gonna do after the season.”
While the reason Aiyuk wants out is because of his contract and the fact that he wants more than $14.1 million this year plus a long-term extension that could average around $28-30 million a season, Aiyuk won’t hold out into the season. Even if he holds out in training camp, he’ll be subject to fines, and holding out during the season will cost him current and future earnings. Even if he’s unhappy with the contract situation, he’s going to play, and the 49ers know that.
That’s why the team hasn’t been in a hurry to trade him despite his making it clear he wants an extension. The 49ers planned for the future by drafting Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, and the team still has Deebo Samuel. While Aiyuk is a huge part of their offense this season, if Pearsall and someone else already on the roster like Jauan Jennings develop and are capable of bigger roles, then the 49ers could look to move on.
It won’t stop Aiyuk trade rumors from lasting throughout training camp, but San Francisco doesn’t have much of an incentive to move him at this point. They’re legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and trading one of their best receivers only hurts their chances, so it makes sense that if they did move him, they’d want another player who can help them win in 2024.
If San Francisco weren’t as good as they are right now, it might be a different story, and they could look to maximize their value via trade. But Aiyuk is more valuable to them right now than future draft picks, and it’s probably going to cost more than the Steelers or any other team wants to pay to acquire him and then give him a new contract on top of that.
