49ers fans would be heartbroken to see Brandon Aiyuk play for one of these teams
The San Francisco 49ers are still trying to lock down wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to a long-term deal.
If they are unable to and are forced to trade him, these three teams would be nightmare landing spots.
At this point in the offseason, it seems like trading Aiyuk would be a tough proposition. If the Niners were prepared to move on without him, they probably would have dealt him a while ago before the NFL Draft.
Even so, the Niners did load up on wide receiver talent in free agency as well as the draft, which could suggest they were preparing for a world in which they cannot keep Aiyuk.
The 49ers would only trade Aiyuk if they received an offer they were blown away by.
But what if that potential offer came from one of the team’s biggest rivals?
It could be seen as a genius move, a key Niners rival making an offer they simply cannot refuse in order to lure him away.
Let’s look at the three teams Niners fans would hate to see Aiyuk play for.
49ers would hate to see Brandon Aiyuk play for one of these 3 teams
No. 1: Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are the natural enemy of the 49ers. Dating back to the 1970s, the two franchises have had a bitter rivalry highlighted by the 1981 NFC Championship game in which wide receiver Dwight Clark made “The Catch.”
The Niners have beaten the Cowboys in the playoffs in recent years as well, owning the rivalry as of late.
Even despite this bitter history, there have been trades between the two teams before as well as players that left one team to play for another. Edge rusher Charles Haley was traded from the Niners to the Cowboys in 1992 in one of the most bitterly remembered trades in franchise history. Cornerback Deion Sanders signed Dallas after helping the Niners win the 1994 Super Bowl. Just last year, the Niners traded quarterback Trey Lance to the Cowboys.
Trades between the two sides are not impossible. It would take the cowboys offering something pretty incredible for Aiyuk to get the 49ers to say yes. Probably a first-round pick and maybe even more.
It is obviously unlikely, but it would take a lot for the 49ers to willingly trade Aiyuk to Dallas.