A report from FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz several days ago indicated the 49ers, who have seen salary cap constraints trigger a mass exodus of talent this offseason, are open to trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Given the lucrative extension Aiyuk signed in August and the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in October, the Niners would be selling low if they were to move him, and an unofficial deadline in that regard is fast approaching.
As Schultz observed in his report and as ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed on a recent episode of his podcast (h/t Kyle Posey of Niners Nation), Aiyuk has a $22.85MM roster bonus due on April 1. Schefter cannot envision a scenario in which San Francisco pays out that bonus and then trades Aiyuk at any point in 2025, particularly when the wideout’s value is at its nadir.
Instead, assuming the April 1 “deadline” passes without a trade having been consummated, Schefter expects the 49ers will simply wait for Aiyuk to get healthy and display the same high-end ability that landed him a four-year, $120MM contract last year and that made him such a sought-after trade commodity prior to the contract being signed. The Niners have already traded Deebo Samuel, and their WR depth chart outside of Aiyuk presently consists of 2024 draftees or veteran ancillary targets, so a healthy and productive return for Aiyuk would, if nothing else, dramatically improve the club’s 2026 outlook.
On that point, Schefter says noted surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache is pleased with the progress Aiyuk has made in his recovery. It appears as if the 2020 first-rounder is on track to return to the field by the middle of the upcoming campaign, which should give San Francisco plenty of time to evaluate his future in the organization.
Schultz’s report noted the 49ers had discussed an Aiyuk trade with several teams. That jibed with an earlier report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who said — on the same day Samuel was traded — that Aiyuk was also drawing trade interest.
Schefter appears to deviate from his fellow pundits by saying there has not been much external interest in Aiyuk’s services due to his contract and injury concerns. That leads him to believes a trade will not happen, but if a WR-needy club is willing to roll the dice, the ESPN reporter confirms it would not take a significant offer to convince GM John Lynch to pull the trigger.
If such an offer does not come in the next two days, though, it seems fair to expect Lynch to retain Aiyuk through the 2025 season.