Patriots Reportedly Made This Brandon Aiyuk Trade Offer Before the NFL Draft originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is entering the final year of his contract and reportedly wants more than $25 million per season on his next deal.
Aiyuk requested an exchange last weekmaking him a player to watch as NFL training camps begin this week.
The star has attracted a lot of interest on the trade market ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft in late April. ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio reported Saturday that several teams were interested in negotiating for Aiyuk and paying him what he wanted before the draft.
The New England Patriots were one of those teams, according to Florio. He reports that they offered a second-round pick to Aiyuk.
“We were told there were five teams that were ready to pay Aiyuk what he wanted before the draft,” Florio wrote. “If they were also able to reach acceptable trade terms with the 49ers, he would have been traded.
“That part didn’t happen. It’s unclear what the 49ers wanted at the time. They rejected the Patriots’ offer of a second-round pick. Other interested teams were, and potentially still are, the Steelers and Commanders.”
It’s unclear which second-round pick the Patriots offered for Aiyuk, or whether they remain interested in a trade. They used the 2024 second round (originally No. 34 overall) to select Ja’Lynn Polk in Washington at 37th overall. They also drafted UCF wide receiver Javon Baker in the fourth round.
That said, the Patriots still need a legitimate No. 1 like Aiyuk. They have very good depth at wide receiver after re-signing Kendrick Bourne, signing KJ Osborn and drafting Polk and Baker. DeMario Douglas is primed for a second-year breakout, and veteran tight end Hunter Henry also re-signed.
But Aiyuk is in a different class than all of them. He is a strong and physical striker, capable of dominating the entire field and boasting impressive statistics. He recorded a career-high 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games for the 49ers last season.
The Patriots still have about $43 million in salary cap space, which is almost $7 million more than any other team, by OverTheCap. They have the financial flexibility to pay Aiyuk what he seeks.
The real question now is: Are the Patriots still interested in Aiyuk? And if the answer is yes, are they willing to pay whatever price the 49ers have set for the talented player?
