NFL Trade Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk Trade Down to 2 Teams

The San Francisco 49ers are finally ready to part with one of their elite young pass catchers. According to NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco, the 49ers have "the framework" of a trade for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk with both the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.

BREAKING: The 49ers have the framework of a Brandon Aiyuk trade with both the Browns and the Patriots, a source told @MaioccoNBCS.

Now it's up to Aiyuk to decide if he will accept either team's contract terms https://t.co/8DIfq9rQMV
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 6, 2024

Aiyuk has been the subject of trade rumors dating all the way back to before the 2024 NFL Draft. Taken with the 25th overall pick in 2020, Aiyuk is entering the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and is set to earn $14.124 million for the 2024 season. Naturally, he's looking for a new deal and the first big-money contract of his young career.

He's earned it. Aiyuk was one of the league's most explosive and efficient pass catchers last season, totalling 1342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns at a preposterous 12.8 yards per target. He's no one-year wonder, either: 49ers quarterbacks have averaged a 119.8 passer rating on throws in his direction since 2020.

Per Maiocco, it will fall to Aiyuk to negotiate a satisfactory contract with either the Patriots or Browns. Given recent surges in the wide receiver market, Aiyuk probably believes he's worth something in the neighborhood of $30 million per year. Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown have all signed deals north of that this offseason. Aiyuk hasn't quite matched their resumes so far in his career, but he's only 26 years old, and his efficiency arguably exceeds those three superstars.

Of the the two potential trade partners, the Patriots could likelier offer the 49ers a more enticing set of draft picks. They picked third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, and they'd be favored to pick high again in 2025. The Browns finished 11-6 last season even with starting quarterback Deshaun Watson missing 11 starts.

The strength of the Browns roster actually makes their interest in Aiyuk quite surprising. They already traded for former Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy earlier this offseason and signed him to a three year, $41 million extension. They also recently restructured the deal of standout pass catcher Amari Cooper, adding $5 million in incentives. Adding Aiyuk would seem almost recklessly extravagant.

Still, there's nothing wrong with building strength on strength. The Browns still have three years left on Watson's unprecedented five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal. If that signing is going to be remembered as anything but a disaster, they'll need to surround Watson with as much talent as they can. The former Houston Texan has appeared in only 12 games over the past two years while averaging a mere 184.8 passing yards per game and a miserable 5.36 net yards per passing attempt. He needs all the help he can get.