San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch probably wished ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler didn't share what two anonymous executives shared with him about embattled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's trade value.
Speaking on SportsCenter, via Bleacher Report, Fowler pretty much declared the Niners' disgruntled wideout had absolutely no trade value whatsoever:
I talked to two rival executives who believe that he's simply untradeable right now; that it's going to be hard to move on because of the knee issue, didn't play at all last year. He's kind of ghosted the 49ers at times; they haven't really had a lot of communication with him. And then you've got the contract. So, if he is released at some point this summer, the 49ers have a clear runway that can save about $20 million on the cap. There would be interest at that point certainly; maybe they can salvage a trade. Probably not is my feeling right now.
San Francisco has been shopping Aiyuk for months, hoping a would-be suitor like the Washington Commanders would offer up at least a bare-minimum trade package. However, those teams know fully well Aiyuk will inevitably be released, likely by a Sept. 1 deadline, so there's little incentive to part ways with draft capital for a trade when Aiyuk can be had later.
But, as Fowler pointed out, pulling off a trade isn't the only caveat.
Jeremy Fowler's Brandon Aiyuk report is all bad for Brandon Aiyuk, too
Fowler didn't exactly reveal anything new, aside from what a couple of executives felt about the receiver. But the insider's report certainly serves to remind teams of several facts that don't exactly paint Aiyuk in a good light.
Aiyuk hasn't played since October of 2024 when he suffered his torn ACL and MCL, and there are clearly glaring concerns about his recovery process—one which prompted the 49ers to pull his guarantees in 2026 after failing to meet certain requirements and milestones.
And then, the fact Aiyuk not only ghosted the Niners but apparently other teams wasn't helping matters either.
Putting it bluntly, the receiver is a damaged asset. However San Francisco ends up parting ways with him, there's a good chance 31 other squads won't be willing to take a serious risk on him because of the multitude of negative factors at play.
As for the trade? Yeah, probably never going to happen.
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