Star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will more than likely roll into this fall wearing a San Francisco 49ers jersey, playing for a franchise that wants to retain his talent. Aiyuk has expressed he wants to remain in the Bay Area, as well, but the two sides have yet to be able to come to an agreement on a contract extension.
Currently, Aiyuk is headed into the fifth year of his contract with no new deal in place. Because of this, he’s teased the idea of playing for a new team. One thing has been consistent — his interest in playing alongside rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels with the Washington Commanders.
Most recently, Aiyuk has posted himself studying Commanders’ practice tape, which follows suit with him having expressed publicly that he would be interested in joining the franchise.
Should a move take place to send Aiyuk to Washington D.C., what would a trade package look like? CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin generated a mock three-team trade to land the wide receiver in his desired location.
Benjamin initially listed three different trade ideas, with the first two being rather simple. The third option, though, was a three-team trade involving the Commanders, 49ers and Denver Broncos. The full trade lands Aiyuk with Washington, sending wide receiver Jamison Crowder and a 2025 third-round pick to the Broncos with the 49ers landing Courtland Sutton and a 2025 second-round pick.
“Let’s get funky, eh? Denver is in a bit of a contract bind of its own, with Sutton contemplating a training-camp holdout as he seeks a pay raise entering Year 7,” Benjamin wrote. “While Sean Payton may not prefer to part with his club’s most accomplished wideout, he could also use more resources for the long-term build around rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Crowder is aging, but his reliability as a possession target would probably appeal to Payton’s eye for efficiency. San Francisco, meanwhile, would essentially be renting a proven downfield starter in Sutton while also recouping a second-rounder by shipping Aiyuk to Washington.”
It’s a complex trade involving a wide receiver carousel, but, evidently, each party benefits in one way or another while equipping Daniels with an elite wide receiver talent.
If Daniels proves to be an elite talent under center, the Commanders would be doing him a disservice by not bringing in as much talent as possible to help him grow and expand his game while taking the franchise to the next level.
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