49ers GM gives huge update on Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel trade rumors
The San Francisco 49ers made waves before the NFL draft by listening to offers for both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in a bid to get a higher draft pick.
Aiyuk is after a new contract, and the general thought was that if a deal couldn't be agreed upon, then the 49ers would ideally trade him on draft night to get a top pick and select his replacement. As for Samuel, that was an eyebrow-raiser, and thankfully for 49ers fans, nothing eventuated in terms of a trade.
Are the 49ers still listening to offers? General manager John Lynch said via JPA Football on X:
"We're past that now. We're thrilled to add to that group of Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, Danny Grey and now you add Ricky Pearsall, Jake Cowing. We made an already strong group even stronger."
So it appears that both Samuel and Aiyuk will be 49ers in 2024, but could a team still be interested in trying to get their hands on Aiyuk due to his contract situation?
What's next for Brandon Aiyuk after failed trade?
With Aiyuk entering the final year of his rookie deal, the star is after a new contract.
While it's not known the type of salary that he is after, one can imagine that it won't be anything less than $20 million per year. Per Over The Cap, Brandon Aiyuk's value is slightly under $20 million, so that feels like a starting point.
Whether the 49ers feel like Aiyuk is worth that kind of money is unknown, but no one can say that he doesn't deserve it. Back-to-back seasons of 1,000 yards and 70 receptions point to a consistent contributor of offense.
Keep in mind that he has to fight for targets with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle.
The 49ers likely still see themselves in the Super Bowl bubble, and Aiyuk is a big part of the reason why.
If a trade was going to happen, one would imagine it would have happened already, but if no contract is agreed upon when training camp rolls around, a holdout will likely occur, and that's when things can get interesting.