The San Francisco 49ers have made it clear they won't be trading Brandon Aiyuk to the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, or any other NFL teams sniffing around for a wide receiver. Despite recent reports of Aiyuk's discontent and his social media activity hinting at a departure, the 49ers are standing firm.
Rumours swirled after Aiyuk, who is on the cusp of his fifth year with a rookie contract worth $14.12 million, reportedly expressed dissatisfaction within the 49ers camp and even went as far as unfollowing the team on Instagram. With the 49ers facing potential salary cap issues in 2025, the chatter about a possible trade grew louder.
However, 49ers' general manager John Lynch has put those rumours to bed on the Pat McAfee show, insisting that Aiyuk and other vital members of the squad will stay put. "I'm doing everything in my power to keep this roster together," Lynch declared.
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"During the course of drafts and offseasons, do conversations happen? Absolutely they do. We're past that now."
"We're thrilled to add to that group - Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray, and now you add Ricky Pearsall [and 2024 fourth-round pick] Jacob Cowing. We made an already strong group even stronger," Lynch said.
"We don't do that without thinking, 'Can these guys contribute right away?' And we have a vision for both [Pearsall and Cowing], how they can contribute and be a part, and they represent a lot of the qualities that we like in our players. ... We're fired up about our team."
During his appearance on the "Nightcap" podcast alongside Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco, Aiyuk openly voiced his aspirations for a lucrative contract that reflects his perceived value to a team, fueling ongoing rumors about his future. Hinting at potential consequences if San Francisco fails to recognize his value, Aiyuk suggested that departure could be on the table.
But his agent, Ryan Williams of Athletes First, later refuted any suggestions of trade requests on Aiyuk's behalf, dismissing the initial rumors with a tweet: "You need better sources."
The news came as a disappointment for fans of both the Patriots and the Steelers, who had expressed keen interest in acquiring the 49ers wide receiver ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Reports have emerged that the Steelers were considering potential trade deals to secure Aiyuk's services, but the 49ers didn't reciprocate the interest. Meanwhile, despite previous rumours linking them to Aiyuk or Samuel, it was deemed unlikely that the Patriots would pursue a trade, mainly due to the expected high costs involved.