The San Francisco 49ers have one of the most talented rosters in the entire NFL. There is a reason, after all, that they are the defending NFC Champions. On offense, in particular, they boast Pro Bowl and/or All-Pro players at each important skill position. Brock Purdy, their quarterback, made his first Pro Bowl last season. Christian McCaffrey has a good case for being the best running back in the league. George Kittle is one of the best tight ends of his generation.
And, of course, there are the 49ers’ dynamic pair of wide receivers: Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Indeed, this offense is capable of hanging 30 or more points on just about any defense in the NFL on any given Sunday.
There are, however, serious questions regarding how long they can keep this core together.
The San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk Are Having a Messy Contract Negotiation
Ever since the 49ers lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, they have been in a very public (and very bitter) contract negotiation with Aiyuk, who was a First Team All-Pro last season. Entering his fifth year in the NFL, Aiyuk is scheduled to play on his fifth-year option. However, he wants a new contract that will pay him like one of the top wide receivers in the NFL.
Negotiations became so intense leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft that many were convinced he would be traded for picks. San Francisco, though, decided to hang onto him and continue talks.
Those talks have not gone anywhere and the market for wide receivers has only increased.
The two players, in particular, that have been mentioned regarding what kind of money Aiyuk is looking for are Amon-Ra St. Brown and Justin Jefferson.
Earlier this offseason, St. Brown received a four-year $120 million extension from the Detroit Lions. Later, the Minnesota Vikings gave Jefferson a four-year contract worth $140 million, or $35 million per year.
Aiyuk is not looking to be paid as much as Jefferson, who is now the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. He is, though, looking to make as much as (or more than) St. Brown.
Could the San Francisco 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk to the Washington Commanders for Terry McLaurin?
Recently, a video went viral in which Aiyuk tells rookie Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that San Francisco informed him that they do not want him anymore. Of course, there is no way to know if that is exactly true; but the video has fueled trade speculation even more, with the Commanders as an intriguing new destination.
Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated suggests that the 49ers could send their disgruntled wide receiver to Washington and get another Pro Bowl wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, in return:
“If the 49ers were to trade Aiyuk to the Commanders, how about they trade him for McLaurin?
“McLaurin would be right in the 49ers’ price range. He’ll turn 29 in September, he’s signed through 2025, and his base salary for each of the next two years would be roughly $15 million. And he’s an excellent wide receiver. He’s had more than 75 catches and more than 1,000 receiving yards four seasons in a row despite playing with some terrible quarterbacks.
“Aiyuk would appeal to the Commanders because their new general manager, Adam Peters, was involved with drafting Aiyuk in 2020 and knows him extremely well. Plus, Aiyuk is three years younger than McLaurin and already has a rapport with Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels because they played together at Arizona State and remain close friends.”
It is certainly a proposal that sounds good for both sides, on paper at least. McLaurin is not as good as Aiyuk, but he also isn’t that big of a downgrade. In fact, he may perform even better than he has in past seasons with Purdy, a better quarterback than he has ever had, throwing him the ball.
Best of all, for San Francisco at least, shedding Aiyuk would allow them to focus on extending their other star players. The question really is whether or not the front office has gotten to the point that they no longer want to try coming to an agreement.
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