49ers would absolutely deny these 4 Brandon Aiyuk trades Bleacher Report suggested
But the trades Bleacher Report suggested for Brandon Aiyuk aren't likely to go down.
By Peter Panacy
While there are concerns about the 49ers not agreeing to a new contract with Brandon Aiyuk, trading him seems the unlikeliest of scenarios.
The San Francisco 49ers are at something of an impasse with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
According to a notable flow of reports and rumors, Aiyuk is seeking a deal worth approximately $30 million per season, while the latest report has the Niners offering a deal in the range of $26 million.
The exact details behind the gap aren't quite known, but after skipping voluntary organized team activities and mandatory minicamp earlier this spring, it's clear Aiyuk is prepared to dig in his heels as he awaits a deal to his liking.
But, what if San Francisco can't find the means to offer one? Would general manager John Lynch simply trade away the team's leading receiver from the last two seasons?
In some regard, it makes sense. The 49ers would prefer to "sell high" and get a substantial trade package in exchange rather than just let him walk via free agency in a year while getting nothing more than a possible compensatory NFL Draft pick in return.
At the same time, the Niners are ready to win a Super Bowl now, and there are awfully few return chips that would make up for the loss of Aiyuk prior to Week 1.
Aiyuk is still under contract through 2024. That's important to acknowledge.
Nevertheless, Bleacher Report's Alex Kay came up with four trade packages for Aiyuk that San Francisco "couldn't deny" if offered.
Well... let's deny them.
Brandon Aiyuk trade package No. 1: 49ers receive 2025 first-round pick, TE Darnell Washington from Steelers
Earlier this year, Aiyuk had an exchange online about Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, comparing their lookalikes. Whether or not that was any kind of "flirting" by Aiyuk to a potential team suitor is anyone's guess, but on the surface, this trade package is pretty easy to debunk.
Pittsburgh, while not a top AFC contender, is still likely to be hovering above the .500 mark in 2024, meaning that first-round pick won't be of the top-10 variety.
Plus, with All-Pro tight end George Kittle already in town, and the 49ers recently signing Logan Thomas to back him up, acquiring Darnell Washington doesn't help solve any of the Niners' Super Bowl aspirations right now whatsoever.
It'd take a lot more than that by Pittsburgh for San Francisco to pull the trigger.
Brandon Aiyuk trade package No. 2: 49ers receive 2025 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick from Jets
Engineering a deal with the New York Jets sounds much more feasible than one with the Steelers, especially if Gang Green's first two picks of the 2025 draft are involved.
Plus, the pipeline between the 49ers and Jets head coach Robert Saleh is there, too.
Still, this trade proposal is easily debunked because there's nothing New York would send back to the Niners that would help Lynch and Co. win now.
Draft picks are cool, yes. But the benefit wouldn't be felt until 2025 at the soonest.
Brandon Aiyuk trade package No. 3: 49ers receive WR Christian Watson, 2025 second-round pick from Packers
Of all the trades Kay suggested, this is the one that arguably makes the most sense, aside from one glaring problem we'll get to in a second.
Christian Watson, the second-year wideout who appears poised for a massive breakout in 2025, could easily help alleviate Aiyuk's departure while giving quarterback Brock Purdy a big-bodied weapon to pair with fellow receivers, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings. Plus, despite dealing with injuries last season, Watson began to showcase his mastery of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's offense, which is similar enough to the one under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Oh, and Watson is still on an affordable rookie contract for the next two seasons. That's another plus.
The problem? It's the Packers.
Right now, this trade benefits Green Bay more than it does San Francisco, and there's a good chance these two teams meet again in the playoffs, and the 49ers would want nothing to do with the idea of Aiyuk helping beat the Niners in the postseason while donning the green and gold.
Brandon Aiyuk trade package No. 4: 49ers receive DE Joey Bosa, 2025 second-round pick from Chargers
Another on-the-surface-it-makes-sense trade here. But it's one that still involves problems.
Envisioning edge Nick Bosa playing alongside his older brother, Los Angeles Chargers edge Joey Bosa, is a nice dream to be sure. And San Francisco has long championed reinforcing its defensive line, making a one-two Bosa punch seem desirable.
But that's where the reality ends.
The elder Bosa has appeared in only 14 regular-season games the last two years because of injuries, meaning such an addition would incur serious risk by the 49ers at the expense of their best wideout, who does not have an injury reputation. Forget the draft pick, this deal would be a bad one.
Plus, tack on the fact they would be taking on a 2025 salary cap hit of more than $25 million by trading for Bosa, and it's not hard to see why the cap-stressed Niners would be better off to simply extend Aiyuk instead.
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