After shipping off Deebo Samuel, rumors suggest the 49ers could be interested in trading Brandon Aiyuk, too.
The San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver room is going to look noticeably different in 2025 than it has over the last few seasons, thanks to the blockbuster decision to trade Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders.
It's possible it looks wholly different, especially if recent rumors surrounding fellow receiver Brandon Aiyuk turn into action.
Both NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and The Athletic's Mike Silver reported the Niners were "open" to trading Aiyuk, who is still recovering from last year's devastating ACL and MCL tears.
Now, teams field calls about their star players all the time during the offseason, and San Francisco has been candid about admitting openness to any move that might improve the team. But, when asked at the NFL Combine about would-be roster moves, general manager John Lynch hinted his desire to get younger (and thereby cheaper), hinting at the possibility Aiyuk, too, could find himself on the move.
There are obvious pros and cons to executing such a move. The 49ers have to weigh both before making a final decision.
Pros for 49ers potentially trading Brandon Aiyuk
Aiyuk's public dissatisfaction with the Niners last offseason amid his own extension talks certainly soured the franchise, and a trade was nullified at the 11th hour by head coach Kyle Shanahan. But the receiver didn't exactly earn additional fans with a sluggish 2025 campaign prior to his injury.
As it felt with Samuel, San Francisco might be eager to fully move on from Aiyuk, fully focusing on its next window with younger receivers like Ricky Pearsall at the forefront.
Plus, there's the hard reality of Aiyuk's injury.
The ligament tears in his knee weren't clean. Despite Lynch's recent comments about Aiyuk being ahead of schedule in his own recovery, there's an excellent chance the former first-round draftee won't be close to 100 percent when the regular season starts.
He might not even be the same receiver again. Remember, All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman suffered a similar injury back in January of 2014, and he was never quite the same player again after dealing with that horrid setback.
Moving Aiyuk might make sense if the team feels he'll no longer be the same impact-level player again.
There are the contractual ramifications, too. Sure, trading Aiyuk now would beset the 49ers with $18.4 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap. And the cap savings wouldn't start hitting until 2026 when a modest $2.4 million would be generated. But, in 2027, the cap savings would be $33 million against $9.2 million in dead money, and it's feasible the Niners would use that generated space as part of quarterback Brock Purdy's pending contract extension.
But, there are plenty of obstacles to a would-be Aiyuk trade.
Cons of 49ers potentially trading Brandon Aiyuk
San Francisco is already eating $31-plus million in dead money for the Samuel trade, and adding another $18.4 million to that by trading Aiyuk is not exactly a business-savvy move. It'd be a full-fledged admission the 49ers gaffed on extending both receivers, and the financial impacts from both are going to be felt for a while.
Beyond that, though, the Niners would be severely depleting their wide receiver room. It was one thing to dismiss Samuel, whose recent production hasn't been anything close to what it was during his All-Pro 2021 campaign.
But, Aiyuk had been Purdy's top target in 2022 and 2023, leading San Francisco's offense in receiving yards both seasons. Denying a quarterback one of his preferred go-to guys is a dangerous proposition, and it'd effectively mean Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are the top two targets at the position.
Then, there's the proverbial elephant in the room: Aiyuk's injuries.
Passing a physical is part of the trade process, so it'd be interesting to see how an acquiring team would want to move beyond that in a would-be Aiyuk trade. Even if a trading team would be willing to forego the results of a physical regarding the receiver's damaged knee, it'd have to know the serious risks of acquiring a player who is coming off such a significant injury.
Samuel, fully healthy, commanded a mere fifth-round pick in exchange. His contract also expires after 2025, whereas an injured Aiyuk is under contract through 2028.
Would any team be willing to take on that risk? Probably not.
As noted, there are a lot of weights to both sides of a would-be trade, and moving Aiyuk isn't simple at all.