What 49ers Could Receive in Aiyuk Trade to Steelers, Browns originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
While the door has not closed on Brandon Aiyuk remaining with the 49ers, all focus now is on completing a trade.
On Tuesday, the New England Patriots left the scene, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, citing sources. Aiyuk has shown no interest in accepting New England’s contract terms to finalize the deal.
The 49ers had trade agreements in place with the Cleveland Browns and Patriots, a league source told NBC Sports Bay Area on Monday.
The 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly resurrected trade discussions Tuesday, after the Steelers “effectively” left the scene on Monday.
Aiyuk made it clear during the offseason that Pittsburgh was among his preferred trade destinations.
The 49ers gave Aiyuk’s camp permission to negotiate with those teams. And he already knows what they are offering.
Aiyuk hasn’t shown much interest in joining the Browns or Patriots. The Browns are still in the game… for now.
But if the 49ers and Steelers reach an agreement, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he chose to accept a smaller contract offer to leave San Francisco for Pittsburgh.
Coach Kyle Shanahan stated the obvious on Tuesday when asked if there was a way the 49ers could trade Aiyuk and be an improved team for the upcoming 2024 NFL season.
“Brandon is a great player,” he said, “so it’s really hard to be better when you lose a great player.”
While the exact terms of any potential trade are not known, here is the level of compensation the 49ers could receive in exchange for Aiyuk:
Cleveland Browns
The 49ers and Browns have already agreed to a trade, which is contingent on Aiyuk accepting the Browns’ contract offer.
In this trade scenario, the 49ers could acquire Amari Cooper, 30, who caught 72 passes for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns last season.
The Browns had the most shaky quarterback situation in the NFL last season with Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker. Each quarterback attempted more than 100 passes each. Therefore, Cooper’s statistical line looks even more impressive in this context.
Cooper enters the final year of his contract, so the 49ers will be able to decide at the end of the season whether they want an extension at that point.
The 49ers would likely pay a portion of Aiyuk’s contract to offset nearly $19 million the Browns paid Cooper in the offseason to create cap space. The bonus money Cleveland paid Cooper allowed them to reduce his base salary to $1.21 million this season.
In addition to Cooper providing the 49ers with a player who can step in and make an immediate impact, the 49ers are also expected to receive a second-round pick and potentially another pick or two later in the draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Unlike the Browns and Patriots, the Steelers don’t have an obvious player to include in a trade to acquire Aiyuk.
Wide receiver George Pickens enters his third season in the NFL. He caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. So would the Steelers part with him to pay Aiyuk big money? This is questionable.
Pickens was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He will no doubt seek a new contract after next season, when teams will be able to renegotiate his rookie contract for the first time.
If no player is involved, the 49ers could pursue two picks on the second day after. Let’s say the 49ers acquire second- and third-round selections from Pittsburgh, along with another pick in the 2026 draft.
So, if the 49ers still felt it necessary to acquire a veteran receiver, they would have the option of using one of those Steelers’ draft picks and perhaps one of their own on day three to make a trade with another team. for a proven wide receiver.
But there are a lot of unknowns in this scenario, so the 49ers and Steelers may have to get creative to come up with a trade that works for both teams.
And if the 49ers and Steelers agree to a deal, it seems plausible that Aiyuk would take the next step toward making it official.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are reportedly no longer involved.
They were serious contenders for a while. The Patriots were prepared to offer the biggest deal of any team pursuing Aiyuk. Two sources told NBC Sports Bay Area that New England’s proposal was worth $30 million per year.
Another source confirmed that former 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne was part of the trade.
