San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk seems to suddenly have one foot out the door, as the team is now open to discussing trades involving him and reportedly has the framework in place for at least one such trade.
It is a reversal of its prior stance of refusing to even entertain trade scenarios involving Aiyuk.
Aiyuk has been looking for a lucrative contract extension since the start of the offseason and recently asked to be traded, and now the cat may be out of the bag for the Niners.
Nick Wright said on Fox Sports 1’s “First Things First” that they “made a significant misstep” in how they have handled the Aiyuk situation and said perhaps they should’ve looked to trade him prior to the draft.
“The 49ers have made a significant misstep in how they’ve handled this. … At this point, I think they’re trading Brandon Aiyuk.”
— @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/aRURCJ57v8
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) August 6, 2024
Wright’s argument is that perhaps the Niners could’ve gotten a better return package for Aiyuk before the draft.
As it stands, one possible destination for the 26-year-old is the Cleveland Browns, and reportedly, such a trade could net the Niners Amari Cooper, a veteran wide receiver who has made the Pro Bowl five times.
Such a return could make trading Aiyuk a lot more palatable, although Cooper, like Aiyuk, is heading into the final year of his current contract.
Aiyuk has gradually improved since coming into the NFL in the 2020 season, and last year, he posted 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
San Francisco is firmly in win-now mode, and thus receiving draft compensation and a wideout who only provides supplemental production wouldn’t allow them to continue to seriously contend for a Super Bowl championship.
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Kyle Shanahan Gets Honest About Brandon Aiyuk Trade Rumors
