NFL Trade Rumors: Dormant AFC powerhouse first to reach out over Brandon Aiyuk trade
Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. The star wide receiver and the franchise haven't been able to agree on terms for a contract extension, and Aiyuk is looking for a new start.
Whether the 49ers will trade away Aiyuk or not remains to be seen, but several teams in the NFL are interested in the receiver and will be able to offer him a new deal.
As per NFL insider Josina Anderson, the New England Patriots reached out to the 49ers for Aiyuk within the last few weeks, but at the time, the NFC West franchise rejected the offer to trade the receiver. She wrote:
"I’m told within the last couple of weeks the #Patriots reached out to the #49ers inquiring about WR Brandon Aiyuk again and were told the talented wide receiver was not being traded at the time, per source."
The Patriots recently drafted quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick and are looking to further bolster their offense with Aiyuk's addition. They do have promising receivers like Kendrick Bourne and Ja'Lyn Polk, but the 49ers star is a proven commodity and will help a lot in Maye's growth as a quarterback.
Not only the Patriots, the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers are also likely to pursue Aiyuk if the 49ers decide to trade away the player that they drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Aiyuk is coming off a season in which he had 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games. The 26-year-old wideout has proved that he can be a WR1 on a contender and will be handsomely paid by whichever team he gets traded to.
Brandon Aiyuk contract: Projecting realistic deal for 49ers WR
As per reports, Brandon Aiyuk is seeking a contract that will pay out close to $28 million annually. That will position him among the seven-highest paid wide receivers in the league, and he will get $2 million less than what Amon-Ra St. Brown will get paid annually with his new four-year, $120.01 million deal with the Detroit Lions.
The Commanders, Patriots, and Steelers can afford to offer a lucrative deal to Aiyuk as they have enough cap space next year. As per Spotrac, their cap space next year will be:
- 1. New England Patriots: $102.65 million
- 2. Pittsburgh Steelers: $89.65 million
- 3. Washington Commanders: $87.4 million
The Patriots can easily win the bidding war for the 49ers star, and given how their roster is presently constructed, Aiyuk will have a lot more targets in New England as compared to the other teams that are interested in him.