There’s a lot of pre-draft chatter about the San Francisco 49ers potentially trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and it doesn’t quite make sense.
Perhaps the 49ers front office still isn’t thrilled with how Aiyuk’s contract negotiations went last offseason. It would makes sense considering he admitted to intentionally dragging the contract talks out longer than they needed to go. They nearly traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason before eventually signing him to a four-year deal worth up to $120 million.
This offseason is a different story. Let’s run through why trading Aiyuk in 2025 doesn’t make a ton of sense:
How old is Brandon Aiyuk?
Aiyuk is still only 27 years old. While the 49ers have seen an exodus of some of their starters from a season ago, they’re not in the midst of a complete teardown. It’s clear there’s a focus on building out a core for a new Super Bowl window, and Aiyuk figures to be a key player in that core as a 27-year-old two seasons removed from a Second-Team All-Pro nod.
Isn’t Brandon Aiyuk injured?
Great question! He is! Any team acquiring him would be taking on a player who is only five months removed from a knee injury that featured an ACL tear and other damage. That would likely diminish his value on the trade market to a level well below San Francisco’s potential asking price.
When will Brandon Aiyuk return from his injury?
Another great question. There’s still no timeline for his return, although general manager John Lynch seemed optimistic about his recovery when he spoke with reporters at the NFL combine in February.
How much would it cost to trade Brandon Aiyuk?
Now we’re getting to the hard part. It would cost San Francisco a lot to part ways with the 2023 All-Pro. Assuming they do so after April 1 when his 2026 option kicks in and becomes fully guaranteed, Aiyuk would cost the 49ers a $62,130,000 dead cap hit in 2025 according to Spotrac. That’s $50 million more than his scheduled cap hit, and would bring San Francisco above $140 million in dead cap in 2025.
What were Brandon Aiyuk’s stats last season?
He struggled out of the gate, hauling in only 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards in seven games. He also tallied four drops − double his total from all of 2023.
Why would the 49ers want to trade Brandon Aiyuk?
This is the best question yet. Perhaps they’re so fed up with him on a personal level that the relationship is not tenable for the foreseeable future. A trade in 2025 just doesn’t add up. He’s still a good player despite his struggles early last season, and the 49ers will surely want to see what he looks like in his return from his knee injury. On top of the cost, there’s just no value here for San Francisco. They’d be trading a 27-year-old who in his last full season was an All-Pro, and they’d be doing so for pennies on the dollar. That isn’t good business for a team that has spent its offseason trying to get back to doing good business.