If Brandon Aiyuk really wants out from the San Francisco 49ers, he reportedly has the opportunity.
A report Monday night from NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco said that the 49ers have the trade framework in place with two teams: the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
The 49ers are now waiting to see if Aiyuk will accept contract terms from either team. Aiyuk has been sitting out of training camp practices and made a formal trade request from the 49ers this offseason because he wants a new contract extension. Aiyuk, the 49ers’ leading receiver last season, is on the final year of his rookie deal. He’s slated to make a little more than $14.1 million this season.
Maiocco reported that the 49ers gave Aiyuk permission to negotiate a contract extension with four teams: the Browns, Patriots, Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers. The report said the Commanders removed themselves from trade talks and the Steelers did not want to meet the 49ers’ price for a trade.
The Browns and Patriots are in much different spots. The Browns were a playoff team last season looking to win the AFC North and be a Super Bowl contender. The Patriots might have the worst roster in the NFL, but have been looking for a No. 1 receiver for a while. They tried to land Calvin Ridley in free agency but Ridley signed with the Tennessee Titans.
The 49ers are reportedly looking for draft picks and a veteran receiver in return. That receiver is expected to be Kendrick Bourne from the Patriots or Amari Cooper from the Browns, according to the NBC Sports Bay Area report.
The 49ers have been hesitant to move Aiyuk, but his training camp “hold-in” might have changed their minds. Aiyuk led the 49ers with 1,342 receiving yards last season and is just 26 years old, but the 49ers have a lot of players with large salaries and will soon have to discuss a contract extension with quarterback Brock Purdy, making it tough for them to commit to a long-term deal with Aiyuk.
The 49ers presumably didn’t want to trade Aiyuk before a season in which they are Super Bowl contenders. But the situation wasn’t getting better, and now the 49ers are reportedly on the verge of a major trade. All that’s left is whether one of two teams gives Aiyuk the contract he’s seeking.
