San Francisco 49ers discloses the asking price for Brandon Aiyuk trade amid Baltimore Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars strong interest
Throughout the offseason, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers has been linked to several NFL teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It is reported that the top receiver will come at a very expensive cost to any team that wishes to acquire him.
Aiyuk is someone the 49ers want to keep, but they have a lot of obstacles in the way of a long-term contract. Being one of the NFL’s top wide receivers going into his contract year, the former first-round choice hopes to rank among the league’s highest paid players.
Brandon Aiyuk contract: $14.124 million salary in 2024, 2025 NFL free agent.
Despite how much San Francisco appreciates Aiyuk’s ability to create plays and run routes, he is only a part of their offense. Running back Christian McCaffrey, All-Pro offensive weapon Deebo Samuel, and All-Pro tight end George Kittle have shown to be more crucial to the team’s success in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. Furthermore, San Francisco is unable to retain every player, as quarterback Brock Purdy is expected to receive contract extensions by 2025.
In light of Calvin Ridley’s recent NFL free agency success, which has seen him get multi-year deals worth $23 million annually, the 49ers front staff has determined that moving Aiyuk now could be the best way to maximize his value. Among the NFL clubs reportedly interested is Jacksonville, but it doesn’t seem like they will pay San Francisco’s price.
Statistics for Brandon Aiyuk (2022–23): in 33 games, 153 receptions, 2,357 receiving yards, 15.4 yards per reception, 15 touchdowns, and 10.8 yards per target
In return for Aiyuk, the 49ers reportedly desired wide receiver Zay Jones and the 17th overall choice in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to Mia O’Brien of 92.5 FM. It was because of that expense as well as the requirement to prolong Aiyuk’s contract that the negotiations allegedly broke down.
Despite not having made it to the Pro Bowl in his career thus far, Aiyuk, 26, is considered by many to be among the top wide receivers in the NFL at the moment. He is among the NFL’s finest route runners, as evidenced by the fact that, according to Player Profiler, he finished the previous season with the third-highest yards per route run (3.18) and the second-highest yards per team pass attempt (2.96).
In place of Ridley, Aiyuk would have taken over as Jacksonville’s best receiver right away, becoming quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s go-to target. But with the money spent on defensive lineman Arik Armstead, wide receiver Gabe Davis, and center Mitch Morse, it seems unlikely that Aiyuk will be dealt to Jacksonville at this time.
