49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Trade Saga is Nearing an End

Soon there will no longer be reports of the 49ers open to trading Brandon Aiyuk.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) is introduced to the crowd before the game against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The trade saga between the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk is nearing an end.

On April 1, Aiyuk is due a roster bonus worth $22.85 million. The 49ers would need to trade him before that bonus triggers.

Once it does trigger, there is no point in trading him any longer. ESPN's Adam Schefter says that no deal for a trade is expected to happen before then.

49ers owe WR Brandon Aiyuk a $22.85 million bonus if he’s on their roster Tuesday, April 1. Once the 49ers pay that bonus, any trade talks for Aiyuk would be off, and he would be expected to spend the 2025 season in San Francisco. So Tuesday looms as Aiyuk’s unofficial trade… pic.twitter.com/spfecSg4Qi

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 30, 2025

Soon there will no longer be reports of the 49ers open to trading Aiyuk. It will finally come to an end after back-to-back seasons of it.

Now the 49ers will need to hope that the relationship with Aiyuk isn't destroyed. I sincerely doubt Aiyuk is okay with his name being thrown out as a trade candidate again.

It's only worsened by how the 49ers did it through a series of reports. The 49ers extremely disliked Aiyuk's extension and made it known.

They practically conducted a smear campaign against him. Aiyuk isn't an "off the grid" person. He surely has to have seen or heard some of these reports.

It could possibly damage his relationship with the 49ers. Maybe not so much with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, but with the executives who handled his contract.

Either way, this offseason has seen unnecessary drama with Aiyuk. He is working his way back from a torn ACL and MCL.

There is no way any team would trade for him for nothing more than scraps. That doesn't benefit the 49ers at all. Aiyuk has way more value than a sixth-round pick.

Instead, the 49ers misplayed their hand all for the good of not wanting to pay him his bonus and having buyer's remorse. Boo hoo.