The New England Patriots will start a new era without disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Of course, the team has made a series of significant changes this offseason, the most drastic of which was the dismissal of head coach/general manager Bill Belichick in favor of Jarod Mayo and Elliot Wolf.
Additionally, the Patriots decided to end the Mac Jones experiment after just three seasons. In his final year in New England, Jones played in 11 games, completing 64.9% of his passes for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick prior to the 2024 NFL Draft.
To replace Jones, the Patriots used the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. However, they also brought back veteran journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brisset to help bridge the gap until the team feels that Maye is ready to take over. Brisset is currently listed as the starting quarterback on the Patriots’ depth chart.
The New England Patriots Were One of the Teams Interested in Trading for San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk
As a young team that is trying to find a new identify with a young up-and-coming quarterback, the Patriots were reportedly interested in trading for disgruntled 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The 2023 Second Team All-Pro has been the subject of trade rumors since February, though San Francisco has tried to work out a contract extension with him.
There were rumors that the 49ers were shopping their former first-round wide receiver ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. While there were a number of teams willing to part with their first-round picks in order to attain Aiyuk, San Francisco decided that the packages they were being offered were not good enough.
After months of negotiating, though, Aiyuk formerly requested a trade. Once again, the Patriots were a team that was linked to them because of the salary cap space New England has and their willingness to pay Aiyuk what he wanted.
As it turns out, though, the 49ers wide receiver did not want to play for the Patriots and turned down their contract offer, which was substantial.
The New England Patriots Were Willing to Pay Brandon Aiyuk More Than $30 Million a Year
According to a report by Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, the Patriots were the potential trade partner who offered Aiyuk the most money:
“The Patriots were prepared to offer the largest deal of the teams who pursued Aiyuk. Two sources told NBC Sports Bay Area that New England’s proposal topped $30 million a year. Another source confirmed that former 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne would have been part of the trade.”
A salary of over $30 million would have made Aiyuk one of the top three highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.
If reports are true that Aiyuk turned New England down, he must also be looking for a team that can win a Super Bowl soon. After finishing 4-13 last season, the Patriots are far away from reaching that level again.
But the number of suitors for Aiyuk are running out.
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