One offseason after signing Brandon Aiyuk to an extension, I think we know what that answer is.
Around the 27:45 minute mark of the podcast Scoop City, the Athletic’s Dianna Russini spoke about how the San Francisco 49ers will begin to have serious conversations with Brock Purdy about signing an extension.
Russini believes the 49ers will need to make difficult decisions this offseason when it comes to deciding which aging stars on big-money contracts to keep while retooling the roster. Deebo Samuel is the obvious name after he requested a trade to begin the offseason. More than a handful of teams should be interested in Samuel’s services.
However, Russini brought up another wideout on the Niners roster as a name that could potentially be on the move this offseason:
“Brandon Aiyuk is a player that a lot of teams had interest in before he signed that deal last year. There’s some teams poking around now to see if the 49ers would be willing to deal Brandon Aiyuk.”
When asked why, Russini said, “There are teams that need a wide receiver.” The follow-up was why the 49ers would trade Aiyuk after giving him an extension, to which Russini responded, “Because San Francisco needs to pay Brock Purdy, and how to work all of these contracts. They’ve got to pay a lot of guys.”
Paying Brock Purdy like he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL only to turn around and trade his top wide receiver is indeed a choice. The chemistry between those two in 2023 is nearly impossible to replicate.
The decision to draft Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft felt like a precursor of what was to come for Deebo Samuel, not Aiyuk. Pearsall slots into Samuel’s role, while Aiyuk eventually returns as WR1, with George Kittle and Jauan Jennings giving the 49ers a bright future while allowing everyone to excel in their respective roles.
If I were a team in need of a receiver, I’d call the 49ers and ask if Aiyuk was available. If you’re John Lynch, any conversation involving Aiyuk shouldn’t last more than 30 seconds.