Is the Relationship Between 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk Fractured?

Trading Brandon Aiyuk a month away from Week 1 of the regular season makes no sense for the 49ers unless the relationship between them is fractured beyond repair.

Sep 10, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) gestures at the line of scrimmage against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The reality of Brandon Aiyuk no longer being on the San Francisco 49ers is intensifying.

It is a crazy concept to fathom considering the regular season is a month away. Trading away one of the best players on a team at this stage rarely happens. The last time that happened, off the top of my head, was when the then Oakland Raiders traded away Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears in 2018.

Aiyuk and the 49ers are set to follow that path, but why? Aiyuk is under contract for 2024. The 49ers have zero reason to trade him, especially if the offers are inadequate. Replacing Aiyuk will be extremely difficult at this point too. Even Nick Bosa acknowledges that.

So why? Why does trading Aiyuk feel like it has to happen? It begs the question: is the relationship between the 49ers and Aiyuk fractured? It has to be. It is the only explanation for why the 49ers would weaken their offense. That would mean that it is tough to be cordial and be focused at the task at hand, which is to be bought in on a Super Bowl run.

Aiyuk could struggle to lock in for that knowing he is still playing on his rookie deal at $14 million. He has seen countless of his peers receive extensions, yet he is the one who is left out. It might be a struggle for Aiyuk at first, but ultimately he isn't going to return to the 49ers with a sabotaged mindset.

He still will need to perform in 2024 to keep his value high. Otherwise, he will not be able to command the money he seeks from other teams or even the 49ers should they return to the table. The option here for the 49ers is obvious to me. Let Aiyuk play out the final year of his deal to keep the high-level offense intact.

Then franchise tag him to see if an extension can be worked out again or to actually conduct a trade properly and not late. With the way training camp has gone for the 49ers so far, they need Aiyuk. Rookie Ricky Pearsall isn't going to fill or shrink the hole left by him. He can barely stay on the field as it is, so he's got injury prone concerns surrounding him. Something that Aiyuk never has.

The 49ers also do not have a crisp route-runner they can depend on for double-move plays or man-to-man beaters. Aiyuk is their best and only option for that. It doesn't matter how amazing Deebo Samuel has looked. He's never going to be that. Aiyuk is that and it's what makes the 49ers' offense so complete.

Without him, they lose a dynamic in their offense and will end up demanding more out of Brock Purdy. But it seems the 49ers are willing to risk that and it may be because their relationship with Aiyuk is fractured beyond repair.