Tensions on the Rise Between Aiyuk and 49ers
Recently, trade speculation for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been at an all-time high. Aiyuk himself has heavily played into these rumors, implying multiple times that he would like to play with his former college teammate, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, in Washington. He even stated on a podcast that he would “love to see what I could do with the QB right here (Jayden Daniels).” While a trade between these two teams is unlikely due to Aiyuk's trade value being higher than Washington may be willing to give up, I wouldn’t completely take it off the table, especially with the 49ers' leverage starting to wane. Let's take a look at what a potential trade package could look like for the star receiver.
49ers Receive
- 2025 2nd Round Pick
- 2025 5th Round Pick
- 2026 2nd Round Pick
Commanders Receive
- WR Brandon Aiyuk
I reviewed all wide receiver trades in the past four years to find a comparable situation to gauge this potential scenario. Reports indicate that the 49ers view Aiyuk as an elite number one in trade discussions, so I started with the Tyreek Hill trade from 2022 and the Davante Adams trade from the same year as benchmarks. Both of those wide receivers garnered first-round picks; however, both were much higher on the ladder of receivers, respectively, than Aiyuk is right now. This led me to consider the trade involving Stefon Diggs, who was moved to Houston this offseason for a 2025 second-round pick, along with a fifth and sixth. Given Aiyuk's younger age and the fact that he's in the middle of his prime, I feel that two second-round picks would be a fair price for Aiyuk’s services.
From Washington’s point of view, two second-round picks do not sacrifice the future of the team while also potentially giving up high picks in those rounds depending on how this season shakes out. Keep in mind, Washington would have to pay Aiyuk the money he wants, which is upward of $28 million a year. That’s a major aspect of this trade that I believe hinders his value just enough to prevent a first-round pick from being included.
For San Francisco, they get to shed the looming contract and gain sufficient draft capital in return. This capital can be traded to help bolster their championship-contending roster or be kept and used to strengthen the core. Allocating the saved money elsewhere could be a great move for the franchise, as they already have talent at wide receiver with Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, and rookie Rickey Pearsall.