According to several reports, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is officially on the trade market. For those hoping the team finds a way to keep their star receiver, Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group reports that Aiyuk is at the 49ers' facility this morning. This is noteworthy because it means Aiyuk is not out taking a physical with a potential trade partner.
"Wouldn't be surprised to see him watching from cart like past practices," Inman notes. "This padded practice will be done by noon."
Hearing that Brandon Aiyuk is at 49ers HQ (so not out taking a physical with potential trade partner).
Wouldn't be surprised to see him watching from cart like past practices. This padded practice will be done by noon
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 6, 2024
Head coach Kyle Shanahan will speak to reporters after practice, and Aiyuk-related questions will likely dominate the session.
The 49ers have reportedly reversed their stance that Aiyuk is unavailable. They are now willing to listen to trade offers and have even worked out frameworks of trades with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
Aiyuk faces a decision: accept a better contract offer from another team or accept less money from the 49ers and compete for a Super Bowl. He is slated to earn $14.124 million in 2024 on a team-exercised fifth-year option. The 49ers have reportedly offered Aiyuk an extension worth $26 million annually, still short of the market value for top NFL receivers.
If the 49ers trade Aiyuk, any package from an interested team will likely need to include a veteran receiver to offset the loss of their leading receiver from 2023. This could mean including Amari Cooper for the Browns, Kendrick Bourne for the Patriots, and draft compensation.
