As the NFL Draft got underway, there was real speculation that San Francsico 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk could be dealt.
Aiyuk has made it clear that he’s unhappy with his contract situation and the feeling was that general manager John Lynch could very well pull the trigger on a trade if he was offered a good enough deal.
Obviously, that didn’t end up happening…
However, the possibility remained throughout the three days of the draft with 49ers fans anxious to find out what would happen.
At the end of the day, Aiyuk is still a Niner – at least as of now. He could still be dealt, although it’s seen as much less likely now.
Adding fuel to the fire on Thursday night was San Francisco’s interesting decision to draft Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with their first-round pick.
Many saw the pick as Lynch firming up Aiyuk’s replacement and a possible sign that a trade was imminent.
But at the end of the day, Lynch and company simply took who they felt was the best player on the board – and even Aiyuk gave his general manager his flowers.
“Fire pick, I can’t lie,” Aiyuk texted Lynch.
Pearsall, a standout from the University of Florida, led a very impressive college career filled with adversity and perseverance. (He was teammates with Aiyuk at Arizona State prior to transferring to the Gators.)
As a fifth-year senior, he hauled in 65 receptions for 965 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while also chipping in two scores on the ground.
He was most well-known for making the play of the year in college football…
As for Aiyuk, he is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal as Lynch tries to manage the salary cap – something that is quite difficult considering the 49ers are the most loaded team in the league.
At only 26-years-old, Aiyuk is just about to enter his prime and is surely garnering at least some interest in the trade market … But so far, not enough for Lynch to pull the trigger.
Addressing the ongoing speculation, Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, denied that his client had requested a trade.
Lynch echoed similar sentiments prior to the draft and emphasized ongoing positive discussions with Aiyuk and expressing the team’s eagerness to retain him.
“I know that we’re continuing to have positive talks with [Aiyuk] and we are really efforting to get something done with him,” Lynch said. “We’re excited about continuing down that path and Brandon being a part of this team.”
There are reports that Lynch would prefer to trade Deebo Samuel rather than Aiyuk.
Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have said all the right things to this point. Both have made it clear that their mission is to field the best possible team for the coming season.
In a perfect world, that would include all three weapons – Aiyuk, Samuel and Pearsall … But one of the former could end up being the odd man out.
Even Shanahan admitted that they wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they didn’t pick up the phone when interested teams call.
“We listen to everything,” Shanahan said. “Everything’s about trying to improve our team as much as we can for 2024 without jeopardizing ’25 as much as possible. So that’s everything you look into and whenever that opportunity comes, whichever way you can improve your team, you do that.”
What do you think about the Niners sitting tight and not trading either Aiyuk or Samuel (yet)?
Do you think Lynch will ship one of them out of San Fran prior to the season?
Which one – Aiyuk or Samuel – would you rather keep???