As the Deebo Samuel sweepstakes continues to heat up, rival teams are sniffing around on another 49ers receiver. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic , teams have expressed interest in trading for 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk, of course, was one of the main characters of the 2024 offseason. The receiver was a mainstay in trade rumors before ultimately signing a four-year, $120M extension with the Niners. The drama proved to be especially worthwhile for the player after he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in October, an injury that surely would have impacted his earnings potential in 2025.
A trade market would obviously look different in 2025 versus 2024. Besides Aiyuk’s injury and impending rehab, the receiver is now firmly attached to a contract that’s tied for fifth at the position in average annual value. Last offseason’s saga featured plenty of potential suitors. The wideout reportedly nixed a trade to the Steelers, and he wasn’t interested in re-signing with the Patriots and Browns. The Commanders also reached out about a deal, but the 49ers were reportedly asking for Terry McLaurin in return.
Samuel’s recent trade request also changes things. The 49ers may be even more reliant on Aiyuk moving forward, as the organization intends to honor Samuel’s wish. The Commanders are once again talking trade with San Francisco, as we heard yesterday that they’re one of two teams “aggressively” pursuing the veteran (along with the Texans).
Any teams interested in Aiyuk would surely be looking to buy low. Even before his season-ending injury, Aiyuk wasn’t putting up the same numbers as his All-Pro 2023 campaign. After averaging 83.9 yards per game in 2023, Aiyuk dropped to 53.4 yards per game in 2024, with his catch percentage and receiving success rate also dropping to career lows.
There’s no true incentive for the 49ers to sell Aiyuk when his value is lowest, and the team would surely prefer he just returns to form and leads the depth chart. The likes of Jauan Jennings, 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, and 2024 fourth-round Jacob Cowing could easily step up in 2025, but the team will already be relying on the depth with Deebo out the door.
