Does Brandon Aiyuk Gain Leverage on the 49ers From Ricky Pearsall's Injury?

Brandon Aiyuk may have picked the perfect time to demand a trade from the 49ers after it was revealed on the same day that rookie Ricky Pearsall was placed on non-football injury list.

Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) reacts after catching a ball that bounced off the face mask of Detroit Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor (not pictured) during the second half of the NFC Championship football game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday was a hectic day for the San Francisco 49ers.

It started with Brandon Aiyuk requesting a trade from the team amid stalled contract negotiations on his extension. Later in the day, it was revealed that the 49ers are placing rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall on the active/non-football injury list.

Pearsall's placement means that he sustained an injury away from the 49ers' facility. Nevertheless, it is extremely intriguing that Aiyuk's trade request emerged the same day as Pearsall's placement on the list. That means the 49ers could be down two quality receivers when training camp kicks off on July 23.

This could be viewed as a huge leverage swing in favor of Aiyuk when it comes to getting his contract extension. So does Aiyuk gain leverage on the 49ers from Pearsall's injury? Maybe a little bit. Kind of? Not really?

Look, I totally get why it can look like Aiyuk gains some leverage here, which is why I'm willing to concede he gains a bit, especially since he will most likely hold out. But the reality is that Pearsall is an unproven rookie. How on earth does Aiyuk gain this tremendous leverage? Pearsall has yet to take an official NFL snap.

It's not like he's some irreplaceable player. Maybe if it was Deebo Samuel who sustained an injury and would miss time, then Aiyuk could see some substantial leverage. Having their two best receivers out of practice would be detrimental. Being without Pearsall is a bummer, but it's unclear for how long as of now.

His absence barely if at all impacts anything when it comes to leverage on a contract extension for Aiyuk.