A resolution to the Brandon Aiyuk saga is on the horizon. Per NBC Sports Bay Area, the San Francisco 49ers have negotiated the frameworks of potential trades with both the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. It’s now up to the star wideout and his camp to choose his next contract.
The Patriots are aggressively pursuit Aiyuk and are willing to make him one of the NFL’s top-five highest-paid receivers, according to ESPN. The Browns and Steelers are also in the mix to land Aiyuk, per the report.
The 49ers have reportedly accepted what the Browns and Patriots offered for Aiyuk, and now it comes down to the money. The report indicates the 49ers could receive a veteran wide receiver and a package of picks in return for their No. 1 wideout.
This development comes after NFL Media reported Monday evening that contract talks between Aiyuk and the 49ers had stalled, and that it was more likely Aiyuk would be traded than find an extension in San Francisco.
NBC Sports Bay Area had previously reported that the 49ers gave permission to Aiyuk to negotiate deals with the Browns, Steelers Patriots and the Washington Commanders.
Washington eventually dropped out while Pittsburgh — which was reportedly initially unwilling to match San Francisco’s asking price — has reengaged talks with the 49ers, according to ESPN. So, the Steelers appear to be back in the mix alongside New England and Cleveland. If they can also reach a framework deal with the Niners front office, they’d only need to negotiate a deal with Aiyuk at that juncture.
It will be fascinating to see what San Francisco is accepting for its All-Pro wideout. Reports indicated that before the 2024 NFL Draft, the 49ers were in search of a first-round pick. Pro Football Talk reported that Aiyuk’s agent was given permission at that time to see if other teams would pay the wide receiver what he was after. At the time, that price was reportedly $28 million per year. Aiyuk’s agent found five different teams willing to give that contract to Aiyuk, but those five teams could not meet the 49ers’ desired trade compensation.
The wide receiver market has, of course, been very active this offseason, and there are now four pass-catchers who have secured contracts that include averages of at least $30 million per year.
The former No. 25 overall pick out of Arizona State had his best NFL season yet in 2023, as Aiyuk caught 75 passes for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. His 17.9 yards per reception ranked second in the NFL among qualified players behind George Pickens, while his 3.1 yards per route run ranked third behind Tyreek Hill and Nico Collins.
