It’s becoming more and more inevitable that the 49ers will trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Even though they haven’t won a title since the 1990’s, San Francisco has been one of the best teams in the league over the past few years, and they owe a good portion of that success to their star wide receiver. Since joining the team in 2020, the Arizona State product has been a dangerous weapon that has improved with experience.

The 2023 season was easily the best of Aiyuk’s career. Finally paired with a reliable quarterback for an entire season, the wide receiver responded with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on 105 targets. Brandon Aiyuk is unquestionably one of the best wide receivers in the game, but the 49ers might have no choice but to trade him.

Aiyuk is entering

The San Francisco 49ers bet the future of their franchise on Trey Lance. That didn’t work out, as the team effectively set three first-round picks on fire while the North Dakota State product only appeared in three games. While Brock Purdy’s arrival minimized the damage of that disastrous trade, it indirectly impacted Brandon Aiyuk.

With no first-round picks for three years, the 49ers had to spend up to find starting-caliber talent on the open market. This is not a cost-effective way of doing business, and now they don’t have the cap space to give Aiyuk what he deserves. Right now, the team barely has any cap space and needs to save what little they do have for Brock Purdy’s inevitable extension. Because of this, Brandon Aiyuk could be the odd man out, and San Francisco should be able to get a good return in a trade.

1,300-yard receivers don’t grow on trees, and wide receivers have never been more valuable than in today’s pass-heavy NFL. Every team in the league should be interested in a Brandon Aiyuk trade, but these five organizations make the most sense.

The Jaguars have been the frontrunners in the Brandon Aiyuk trade sweepstakes for quite some time. Recent reports indicate that Jacksonville would have to give up the 17th-overall pick and Zay Jones for the wide receiver’s services. That’s a steep price to pay, especially when you consider the Jaguars would also need to give Aiyuk a brand new contract. Perhaps they’ll wait until draft day to see if someone like LSU’s Brian Thomas falls to 17. If he doesn’t, then perhaps the team calls the 49ers.

the final year of his contract and is looking for a new deal that accurately reflects his impact on the team. While the 49ers reportedly don’t want to trade Brandon Aiyuk, they’re reportedly not making any progress on a long-term deal. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the two sides are “not close” in contract talks, which means something could happen during the 2024 NFL Draft.