The San Francisco 49ers battled last offseason to get through the Brandon Aiyuk saga. The former first-round pick was seeking a new contract with lofty demands that, eventually, the 49ers reached, inking him to a four-year $120 million contract. One year later, could the 49ers already have buyer’s remorse?
Teams have been “poking around” to see if the 49ers would trade Brandon Aiyuk
Trade rumors surrounded Aiyuk and the 49ers last offseason as the two sides battled through contract negotiations. Although they eventually came to an agreement, the negotiations drew interest toward Aiyuk from teams around the league — interest that might still be prevalent.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on the latest episode of her “Scoop City” podcast that teams have been checking in with the 49ers about a potential trade for Aiyuk this offseason (h/t NBC Sports):
“Brandon Aiyuk is a player that a lot of teams had interest in before he signed that deal last year,” Russini stated. “There’s some teams poking around now to see if the 49ers would be willing to deal Brandon Aiyuk.”
Aiyuk missed the majority of the 2024 season with a torn ACL suffered in Week 7. Prior to the injury, he was having arguably the worst season of his career. He had totaled only 25 receptions for 374 yards with zero touchdowns. His 54.2% catch rate was the lowest mark of his career and his 53.4 yards per game were his lowest average since 2021. Despite the injury and down performance, teams are still interested in trading for Aiyuk and inheriting his lofty contract.
Could the 49ers actually trade Aiyuk?
Realistically, an Aiyuk trade is highly unlikely. He is signed through the 2028 season and has two additional void years on his contract running through 2030. His cap hits in 2027 and 2028 both exceed $42 million.
If the 49ers were to trade him pre-June 1st this offseason, they would incur an $18.4 million dead cap hit, which would actually net them $-7.2 million in savings. If they designated the trade post-June 1st, though, they could free up $6.5 million but would incur dead cap penalties of $4.6 million in 2025 and $13.8 million in 2026 (Spotrac).
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However, if there were any incentive to trade Aiyuk away, it would be an effort to create cap space for another pricey contract the 49ers are preparing to hand out: QB Brock Purdy’s long-term extension. Purdy could be seeking a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. If San Francisco wants to meet his demands, they will need to clear some cap space, and trading away Aiyuk could help them meet that goal.
Trading away Aiyuk would be easier said than done for the 49ers. The team acquiring the 2023 second-team All-Pro would also be inheriting a pricey and difficult contract. While it can’t be totally ruled out, considering the 49ers’ need to clear cap space for Purdy, their choice to pay Aiyuk $120 million last offseason demonstrates a high level of commitment to building around their quarterback, henceforth making it unlikely that they will entertain any trades.
