Recently, Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn suggested the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders do a player-for-player swap: wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Terry McLaurin.
It's a provocative idea. Aiyuk hasn't exactly acted as if he's thrilled with the Niners ever since his contemptuous contract-extension talks a year ago, which were rife with trade rumors, and now McLaurin is disgruntled in light of his own extension conversations not going where he wants them to go.
Sounds like both players could use a fresh change of scenery, right? And it isn't as if San Francisco and Washington aren't familiar with wide receiver trades after last March's deal for Deebo Samuel, correct?
Well, provocative ideas and reality can be two vastly different things.
Trading Aiyuk has one exceptionally large, unavoidable issue. And it's one that'd likely make general manager Adam Peters and the Commanders issue a hard "no" in response to any would-be 49ers trade proposal involving Aiyuk.
Commanders would rebuff a Brandon Aiyuk trade for Terry McLaurin
The proverbial elephant in the room here is Aiyuk's injury, the torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 7 last year that likely keeps him from taking the field to open up 2025. Recent injury updates have been positive, but the fact the 2020 first-round draftee's knee essentially had to be rebuilt casts some serious doubts about his immediate-impact ability.
McLaurin, who'll turn 30 years old to begin the upcoming season, would probably relish playing under head coach Kyle Shanahan and immediately becoming the de facto No. 1 wide receiver on the Niners roster.
Aiyuk, meanwhile, would reunite with Samuel while also playing with a close friend and former teammate at Arizona State, quarterback Jayden Daniels.
So, from those vantage points, Cohn's proposal makes sense. And the two receivers would get the fresh start they likely covet.
But, yeah. That Aiyuk injury. It's a problem.
In win-now mode, Washington's best interest is to make things work with McLaurin, who can contribute out of the gate in Week 1 unless contract talks go so far south to a point where a holdout emerges (despite would-be significant fines).
San Francisco, meanwhile, opted not to trade Aiyuk prior to his guaranteed roster bonus going into effect on April 1, so it's likely committed to him for better or worse this year.
Proposed ideas are fun, though. Even if they won't happen.
