Brandon Aiyuk’s trade request: 3 options for the 49ers with their star receiver

Huge receiver Brandon Aiyuk has formally requested a commerce from the San Francisco 49ers. The 2 sides haven’t been capable of hash out a long-term contract extension — a minimum of not but — over this offseason. A smooth deadline looms subsequent week when veterans are slated to report back to coaching camp, and Aiyuk could be topic to each day fines of $40,000 if he’s not within the constructing.

The place does this case go from right here? That is acquainted floor for the 49ers, who’ve handled uncomfortable contract standoffs in every of the previous two seasons. One was with receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. — who additionally requested a commerce, however a lot earlier within the offseason — and the opposite was with defensive finish Nick Bosa.

The 49ers have three basic choices. Right here is an overview of every technique.

Possibility 1: Do nothing and look ahead to Aiyuk to blink

Aiyuk is already underneath contract for the 2024 season at $14.1 million. Contemplating Aiyuk was one of the crucial environment friendly receivers in soccer final season — he led the NFL with 17.9 yards per reception — that’s a really favorable price for the 49ers in a market the place the highest wideouts at the moment are making over $30 million yearly.

Aiyuk’s precise calls for aren’t publicly identified, though it has been reported the 49ers’ supply hovers at round $26 million per yr. The group can stand pat and look ahead to Aiyuk to decrease his asking value. Consider this as a recreation of rooster — with the 49ers driving a semitruck. As a result of Aiyuk is already underneath contract, they’ve the excessive floor right here.

Though the league’s collective bargaining settlement (CBA) permits the group to forgive Aiyuk’s $40,000 each day fines for lacking coaching camp, monetary penalties would solely enhance with time. On his $14.1 million deal, Aiyuk stands to overlook out on about $829,000 per recreation if a holdout lasts into the common season. The CBA would additionally permit the 49ers to high quality Aiyuk as much as that quantity for each missed preseason recreation.

Past these short-term losses, Aiyuk faces potential longer-term monetary injury with a chronic holdout. Keep in mind that 2024 for Aiyuk is a contract yr for so long as he stays on his rookie deal. Given the scenario, the receiver is extra incentivized than ever to ship statistically in order that he’s finest lined up for a payday when unrestricted free company would possibly come calling in 2025. Meaning Aiyuk is incentivized to be at coaching camp so he can hone rapport with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, particularly as a result of the group options a lot different receiving expertise who shall be competing for targets.

Contractually, the Aiyuk dynamic is about as much as work within the 49ers’ favor. Basic supervisor John Lynch, figuring out this, has acknowledged the 49ers could be keen to let Aiyuk play 2024 on the fifth-year choice. The 49ers may use the franchise tag on Aiyuk for 2025 at a projected value of about $22 million.

It’s means too early to know if the 49ers would resort to that, however the mere risk of two extra seasons of group management at a below-market price does theoretically incentivize Aiyuk to take the 49ers’ supply or a minimum of come nearer to it.

Seeing the negotiating discipline tilted of their favor, the 49ers would possibly disregard Aiyuk’s commerce request and proceed ready for him to blink on the negotiating desk. In truth, with the 49ers reportedly telling interested teams that they don’t have any intention of buying and selling Aiyuk, it seems that’s precisely what they’re doing.

Possibility 2: Sweeten the pot to keep away from a holdout

After all, the 49ers even have one thing to lose if this case drags out.

Aiyuk is a wonderful receiver and the group is objectively worse with out him. Even when the distribution of leverage suggests the 49ers ought to win a chronic staredown with Aiyuk, that may come at a big price to the group. Look again to final season, when Bosa acknowledged that lacking all of coaching camp and the preseason negatively impacted his play for a minimum of the primary a part of the common season.

A group dealing with intense stress to win a Tremendous Bowl would favor to not lose any little bit of its edge. And the 49ers discover themselves in that kind of win-now boat. There actually is a few worth in guaranteeing that Aiyuk is within the constructing from the beginning of coaching camp subsequent week. The query is simply how a lot Aiyuk’s presence could be price.

That’s arduous to calculate, however maybe the 49ers could be keen to barely sweeten their supply to push this negotiation throughout the end line. Perhaps this commerce request is Aiyuk’s means of rocking the boat to see if the 49ers are, in actual fact, keen to do this.

Nevertheless it is also that the 2 sides are too far aside for any pot sweeteners to do the trick, and if that’s the case, this isn’t a very helpful choice for the 49ers. It doesn’t appear that avoiding an Aiyuk holdout could be price compromising their big-picture wage cap, which should think about a possible megadeal for Purdy and different large expenditures sooner or later.

The 49ers, as a result of their books are already jammed with extra A-list expertise than every other NFL group, are very incentivized to carry the road the place it’s.

Possibility 3: Commerce Aiyuk

What potential commerce involving Aiyuk can the 49ers make that will enhance their group this season? That’s the gold normal for the 49ers, who — given the Tremendous Bowl stress — are in no place to jettison a useful weapon for belongings that can’t assist them this season.

With the NFL Draft within the rearview mirror, it stands to purpose that solely a commerce bringing one other participant might fulfill the 49ers’ aim of enhancing the group now. For argument’s sake: If the Los Angeles Chargers supplied defensive finish Joey Bosa to the 49ers, or if one other group was keen to commerce them a top quality offensive lineman, Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan could be obligated to pay attention. Such strikes would theoretically give the 49ers an opportunity to enhance sufficient at one place to outweigh the lack of Aiyuk at receiver.

However such player-for-player trades are uncommon within the NFL, thanks largely to how tough it’s to align contractual conditions underneath the cap. Joey Bosa, for instance, simply obtained a profitable signing bonus as a part of a contract restructure. The Chargers in all probability wouldn’t be desperate to ship the move rusher away proper after paying him such a big sum of cash.

And regardless of the stalemate, let’s not neglect how good Aiyuk has been for the 49ers.

 

His graded effectivity was off the charts final season. His means to dam is exemplary. His arc of enchancment into stardom has been a quintessential success story of the 49ers’ developmental program. That every one makes Aiyuk the precise kind of participant the 49ers wish to preserve round, one who gained’t be moved until the 49ers command a haul that makes it price their time.

It’s very arduous to see such a commerce package deal coming to fruition, which is why Possibility 1 continues to be the group’s almost definitely plan of action on this saga with Aiyuk. His request for Possibility 3 doesn’t change that.

(Prime picture: Perry Knotts / Getty Pictures)