Brandon Aiyuk Is Not Playing In San Francisco Again, And Someone Is About To Get A Bargain
The San Francisco 49ers made it clear this week that Brandon Aiyuk will not play another game in a 49ers uniform. That is the kind of statement that essentially puts a player on the auction block, and half the league is going to be on the phone this week.
Aiyuk is 27, two years removed from a 1,300-yard season, and one of the most talented route runners in football when he is engaged. He is also on a contract that pays him elite money and has spent most of the last calendar year in some form of disagreement with the 49ers organization.
The relationship, by all accounts, is beyond repair.
The question is what he is worth in a trade. A year ago, this player would have commanded a first-round pick plus additional compensation. Today, given the fractured relationship, injury issues, and cap hit of his current deal, the market is more like a second-round pick with conditions.
Teams that could realistically call: the Steelers, who always need a real number one receiver. The Chiefs, who have been searching for a proven weapon opposite their existing group. The Ravens, if they think Aiyuk fits Lamar Jackson’s style. The Broncos, who have cap space and a rebuilding roster.
My honest bet is Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin’s team has been one legitimate receiver away from being a real AFC threat for years, and Aiyuk on a fresh contract in a change-of-scenery move fits their history of taking on talented players with baggage.
The 49ers’ side of this is more interesting than it looks. San Francisco has to eat some dead cap to move Aiyuk, but they get to reset their receiver room and give more targets to Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings. Kyle Shanahan’s offense has always been able to make receivers look good, and both of those guys have legitimate upside without Aiyuk sucking up looks.
The bigger issue for San Francisco is what this saga says about their organizational health. Aiyuk is the second high-profile receiver situation Shanahan and John Lynch have handled poorly in recent years. Deebo Samuel was moved after his own extended standoff, and now Aiyuk. There is a pattern here that other star receivers around the league are certainly watching.
If you are a young receiver hitting your second contract, does San Francisco look like a place you want to negotiate? The answer right now is probably no.
For Aiyuk, the timing of the move matters. He needs to get out before Week 1 so he can integrate with a new offense during the season. Any deal that lingers into October costs him production and cost his new team the ability to feature him. Expect resolution within the next seven days.
The 49ers are 12-5 caliber even without Aiyuk if Purdy stays healthy and the defense holds up. This is not a season-ruining move. It is a franchise moving on from a player they cannot make work, and getting some assets back in return.
Somebody is going to add a top-15 receiver at a discount price this week. That team just got a lot more dangerous.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
