After reports of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk requesting a trade broke Tuesday, NFL fans discussed his potential landing spots on social media.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday that Aiyuk officially requested a trade due to the fact that the Niners have been unwilling to engage in contract negotiations since May.
Several NFL teams would undoubtedly benefit from a player of Aiyuk’s caliber, and fans debated where he would fit best with the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns being among the teams mentioned:
The 26-year-old Aiyuk has yet to be named a Pro Bowler or All-Pro during his four-year NFL career, but it isn’t because he hasn’t done enough to earn the distinction.
Aiyuk is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and he has undoubtedly developed into one of the most complete wideouts in the NFL.
In 2022, Aiyuk set career highs with 78 receptions and eight receiving touchdowns, plus he reached the 1,000-yard receiving plateau for the first time with 1,015 yards.
Aiyuk was even better last season with 75 grabs for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven scores, and he established himself as quarterback Brock Purdy’s favorite target in the process.
The former Arizona State standout is entering the final year of his contract since the 49ers exercised the fifth-year team option for 2024, but Aiyuk has made it clear that he wants a long-term deal.
San Francisco has been hesitant to give Aiyuk a new contract, perhaps due to the fact that it already has Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Fred Warner locked into long-term, big-money deals.
If the 49ers do decide to honor his trade request, teams will likely line up for the opportunity to acquire the explosive Aiyuk.
Of the teams most often mentioned by fans on X, the Patriots arguably have the biggest need at wide receiver since they have no clear No. 1 option for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
The Commanders would have one of the best wide receivers duos in the league if they land Aiyuk and pair him with Terry McLaurin, and the same could be said for the Steelers with Aiyuk and George Pickens.
There are likely many other teams that aren’t being widely talked about that would perhaps make a run at Aiyuk as well, provided they can work out a new contract with him and fit it under the salary cap.
Provided a trade does happen, it will deal a significant blow to the 49ers’ offense on the heels of San Francisco making it all the way to the Super Bowl last season.