Why the 49ers Could Feel Forced to Trade Brandon Aiyuk

Trading Brandon Aiyuk is not something the 49ers would like to do, but it is something that could make them feel forced to do. Here is why.

Dec 25, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Extending All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has gotten increasingly difficult for the San Francisco 49ers.

Today, the Detroit Lions extended their own All-Pro receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown to a four-year deal worth more than $120 million with $77 million of it guaranteed. That breaks down to $30 million per year in salary, which is something I don't foresee the 49ers offering to Aiyuk.

It isn't because Aiyuk is a drastically lesser player. There is a case to be made that both players are similar in talent, but St. Brown has been doing it longer with the stats to back him up and is actually a focal point in the Lions offense. Aiyuk isn't the feature guy with Christian McCaffrey leading the way.

This deal for St. Brown could strike a harsh reality to the 49ers, which is that they aren't going to be able to extend Aiyuk. It is tough to imagine that Aiyuk doesn't get his agent to push for a similar deal as St. Brown, and it is only bound to get worse once Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb sign their extensions.

It isn't something they would want given they want to go all in on 2024, but all of this could make the 49ers feel forced to trade Aiyuk. As I stated earlier, Aiyuk is NOT a focal point in the 49ers offense, at least not consistently. The market is too rich for the 49ers to pay him that when they have McCaffrey at the head of the table, then Deebo Samuel and George Kittle sharing the spotlight.

Paying Aiyuk such a premium when the 49ers offense will not revolve around him wouldn't work and it isn't something they will do. If he was, like how Jefferson, Lamb, and even St. Brown is, then of course they would. It is why the 49ers had no issue paying Deebo Samuel. Another reason the 49ers could feel forced to trade Aiyuk is because of their recent draft pick whiffs in the last two years.

The 49ers have not managed to find success ever since they traded three first-round picks to draft Trey Lance. That trade has come back to hurt them since they couldn't get more impactful and polished prospects in the first-round. To make matters worse, the 49ers have been abysmal in rounds two and three.

From whiffing on Drake Jackson, to wasting picks on two running backs and a kicker in the third-round. The 49ers have zero clue what they are doing in those rounds, and this upcoming draft is one where they don't see it rich with talent. During his pre-draft press conference, general manager John Lynch said the 49ers only view 170 players worth to draft with 22 of them as first-round players.

If there is any draft for the 49ers to accumulate day one and two picks, it is this one with Aiyuk. It allows them to get a nice haul of them to reel in more polished talents and make up from their whiffs from the last two years. Everything just looks like it is forcing the 49ers to trade him rather than let him leave after 2024.

Should Aiyuk end up getting traded on Thursday or Friday, then at least to some degree it is due to the receiver market and need for draft picks.