6 Brandon Aiyuk suitors after 49ers star demands trade

Speculation on Brandon Aiyuk’s future has been simmering for months now with the All-Pro receiver and the San Francisco 49ers being unable to reach an agreement on a new contract. Now the situation has escalated with Aiyuk formally requesting a trade from San Francisco, upping the stakes ahead of training camp.

The most obvious outcome to all this is that Aiyuk and the Niners either reach terms on a new deal, or he begrudging plays out his contract at which point he’ll be a free agent — where it’s unlikely the 49ers would give him the franchise tag. However, this is an organization that is pretty cagey with its personnel decisions, and that could open the door for a trade to ensure the Niners get something more than a compensatory pick.

As it stands Aiyuk is set to make $14.1M in 2024, which limits the number of teams with open cap space to make a deal. Now, a new contract could be agreed to as soon as a trade is executed — but that’s a good starting point to evaluate who could (and should) pick up the phone.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have to be a big time player when it comes to Aiyuk. As it stands the team is slated to start Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas at WR, while they hope rookie Ja’Lynn Polk can become a long term option.

Suffice it to say, this is a bad receiver room in need of upgrade.

Normally the Pats are a team that makes long, considered decisions when it comes to team building, but there’s immense pressure to get the show on the road and start winning some games. Any hopes of that hinges on the team’s ability to develop rookie QB Drake Maye quickly, and if we learned anything from the 2023 Carolina Panthers and Bryce Young it’s that being cheap at WR with a top rookie QB is a bad recipe.

If New England offered a pair of second round picks (or even their first) to get someone of Aiyuk’s caliber it wouldn’t be a bad move. They have over $41M in open cap space making the contract easy to absorb, and with Aiyuk at 26-years-old it would be a no-brainer to pony up and get him his money.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders are very high on the list for two main reasons:

1. They have $36M in cap space
2. Aiyuk has indicated he’s interested in Washington as a potential destination

Similar to New England, the motivation here is to start Jayden Daniels off on the right foot and get this team winning quickly. As it stands the receiver situation in Washington isn’t abysmal with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but after that it falls off a cliff. Adding someone like Aiyuk would push the whole depth chart around in a way that would give Daniels three weapons to jumpstart his career, while actually making the Commanders a team to watch in the NFC East.

The question becomes: Do you think you will be able to draft a receiver of Aiyuk’s caliber in 2025? If the answer is “no,” then you make this deal.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Another team Aiyuk has talked about in the past, there’s a massive window here for a pass catcher after the team traded Diontae Johnson to the Panthers. George Pickens is great, and Aiyuk is an ideal fit across from him.

This is already a competitive team who should be pushing for an AFC North title, and with $15M in cap they can barely squeeze in Aiyuk under the wire, potentially keeping him at the same money in year one and finding common ground on a long-term deal.

Considering this team went 10-7 with terrible quarterbacks in 2023, adding Aiyuk and either having Russell Wilson or Justin Fields at QB is a recipe for success.

Arizona Cardinals

It would take a lot for the 49ers to consider trading Aiyuk inside their own division, but this would make a ton of sense. Another building team, there’s necessary pressure on Kyler Murray to make an impact this season while Jonathan Gannon continues to work on the defense.

Aiyuk wouldn’t just be an immediate weapon, but a vital tutor to help Marvin Harrison Jr. adjust to the NFL. It also dovetails their contracts nicely with MHJ on a rookie deal, while Aiyuk gets paid.

Now, the Cardinals aren’t exactly a premier destination for high-profile players, but this could be a place to watch for considering the cap space, quarterback, and the oft-overlooked tilt of getting a little revenge on a former team.

Los Angeles Chargers

While it certainly seems that Jim Harbaugh is building this team in his image as a run-first, defensive squad — that doesn’t mean the Chargers can completely ignore the WR position, especially when you have Justin Herbert.

With both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen on new teams there’s a huge gap for the Chargers to upgrade at WR and keep things rolling. The move would keep Aiyuk inside the same state that he’s come to call home, but simply shifting to SoCal — and it also keeps him out of conference.

If you look at the kind of quarterbacks Aiyuk has thrived with then Herbert fits the bill with his accuracy and anticipation. The two could have real success together and round out the offense in a way the desperately need.

Brandon Aiyuk, Quentin Johnston, and Ladd McConkey make a fascinating WR stable to see the Chargers become a real threat in the AFC West.

New York Jets

Never count out the Jets when it comes to a trade like this. The team is up against the cap, only having $6M in free space right now, but their rumored interest in a potential Davante Adams trade means the team is at least exploring the idea of upgrading their offense before the season.

This is do-or-die for the Jets, who are 100% all-in on winning right now, and would pay almost any price to make it happen. Aiyuk doesn’t have the familiarity with Aaron Rodgers that Adams does, but if the Raiders decide they don’t want to deal their top receiver, or if those talks never materialize, then it wouldn’t be shocking to see New York step in and try to get something done.