The San Francisco 49ers continue to get dragged through the mud by WR Brandon Aiyuk. Earlier today, Jordan Sigler of Gridiron Heroics reported that Aiyuk was demanding a trade from the 49ers. However, San Francisco has already publicly stated that they have no intentions of trading Aiyuk.
With that said, there are still teams out there that could really use him and have enough assets to make the 49ers a legitimate offer. So, which teams are most likely to trade for Aiyuk? Here are three of the biggest contenders.
1. New England Patriots
One of the top contenders for Aiyuk’s services is the New England Patriots. Last season, they had one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Now, they have made several changes to try to address these major issues.
For starters, they promoted Jerod Mayo and made him the next Patriots head coach. On top of this, New England drafted Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It should be no surprise that there are confirmed reports of the Patriots trying to acquire Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers.
However, there is one thing going for them that is better than both of those things. That would be the salary cap space the team has available. In 2024, the Patriots have more salary cap space available than any team in the NFL. As a result, they would have more than enough room to absorb Aiyuk’s contract.
2. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are in a very similar situation as the New England Patriots. They selected Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and hired a new head coach in Dan Quinn. Along with those two things, the Commanders have the second-most salary cap space available in 2024. So, they would have no trouble finding a place for Brandon Aiyuk if San Francisco was willing to give him up.
3. Arizona Cardinals
This is the least likely landing spot for Aiyuk considering he would end up with a division rival in this scenario. However, there is no doubt he would make a great fit for the Cardinals if a deal could get done. So, why is Aiyuk such a great fit?
Like the Commanders and Patriots, the Cardinals have plenty of salary cap space available. However, their offensive situation is arguably the best of the three teams mentioned here. That is because Arizona already has veteran QB Kyler Murray along with the most highly anticipated rookie WR in Marvin Harrison Jr.
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