The 49ers entertained trading Brandon Aiyuk, but the likely inability to do so doesn't exactly mean everything is resolved.
In all likelihood, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will remain with the San Francisco 49ers in 2025.
This, despite the Niners' relatively public indications they were willing to trade him this offseason despite taking on what'd be a significant chunk of dead money while getting very little in return, in light of the receiver coming off a torn ACL and MCL suffered last year.
A key date to monitor here is Tuesday, April 1. That's when Aiyuk's roster bonus (worth more than $22 million) becomes guaranteed. If San Francisco attempted to trade Aiyuk thereafter, it'd still owe him that amount in cash.
Add on the serious injury recovery, and it's understandable why teams might be inquiring about Aiyuk's availability but not aggressively discussing trades with the 49ers for his services.
"Oh yeah, I expect Brandon to be a part of us, yeah," general manager John Lynch told Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn at the NFL Annual Meeting when asked about Aiyuk's future.
Sounds like a would-be Aiyuk trade is not going to happen.
But that doesn't mean the story comes to a happy end.
49ers still have plenty to figure out even if they don't trade Brandon Aiyuk
The Niners could theoretically still trade Aiyuk after April 1, but it wouldn't make much sense to do so, given the financial complications and ramifications.
But, after a contemptuous standoff an offseason ago amid the pass catcher's tense extension talks, which nearly resulted in a trade, it's safe to say the latest round of trade talks hasn't exactly helped mend proverbial bridges.
Aiyuk, who publicly voiced his frustrations on social media during those previous contract talks, has a fractured relationship with the front office. In a sense, both sides are now stuck with each other and will have to figure out how to make it all work. Had Aiyuk not suffered his injuries last year, perhaps some solace could be achieved by head coach Kyle Shanahan using the receiver as a more prominent weapon on offense right away.
However, Aiyuk's injury casts a looming shadow over that possibility, as it's expected he won't be ready until the middle of the season now.
Should San Francisco do more to feature its other offensive weapons, namely tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, it'd make Aiyuk's reintegration into the offense a bit more difficult.
That won't solve matters either. And it'd cast even more long-term question marks about his future in the Bay Area that'll extend beyond 2025.
There's a lot more left to be figured out here.
