During a Wednesday appearance on Columbus sports radio station 97.1 The Fan, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter offered an update on the latest trade rumors involving unsettled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
"I would expect that he's in a Niners uniform," Schefter said about Aiyuk, as shared by Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "The question is, is it gonna be beyond this year? He's under contract to them (for 2024), and why would a Super Bowl-contending team trade a starting wide receiver for a future draft pick? Not gonna do that. That doesn't do anything to help you win a Super Bowl this year."
While NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported earlier this week that Aiyuk was "no closer to a deal" but also "no closer to a trade request" regarding his desire to sign a contract extension ahead of the season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk later said that "no one was willing to give Aiyuk what he wants in a contract and what the 49ers want in a trade."
Aiyuk may or may not be targeting something in the range of the four-year extension that Amon-Ra St. Brown received from the Detroit Lions earlier this offseason.
St. Brown's deal reportedly included $77M in guaranteed money and could be worth up to $120M.
Most reporters and analysts agree that a San Francisco team looking to return to the Super Bowl following its loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past February won't trade Aiyuk for a future asset, especially considering the club can retain his rights for 2025 via the franchise tag.
"I don't expect that they're trading him," Schefter continued. "That's not what I'm expecting right now. Whether they can get a contract worked out or not, that's a different issue. They've been talking, doesn't seem like they're close right now. Those things can heat up pretty quickly."
History shows the 49ers could strike an agreement with Aiyuk as late as the week of the club's upcoming regular-season opener versus the New York Jets on Sept. 9.
Even if Aiyuk publicly requests a trade before training camp, he ultimately may have to decide between playing for San Francisco this fall on his current deal or forfeiting money by sitting meaningful games out.
