Is Brandon Aiyuk "Untouchable" to the 49ers in a Trade?
Another year, another player on the San Francisco 49ers needing a contract extension.
This time around it is All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. It should be a no brainer for the 49ers to want to retain Aiyuk for years and years to come. However, salary cap constraints will always play a factor as well as needs elsewhere on the team.
The 49ers will have to heavily consider if Aiyuk can be retained. There is no doubt they want to, but can they? And should they? A trade is definitely going to be on the table with Aiyuk as it has been for every 49ers player needing an extension in the last four years. Not unless you ask general manager John Lynch who's desire is to have the 49ers keep Aiyuk for the foreseeable future.
“Brandon's one that we think incredibly highly of, one of my favorite just guys around our building, the way he approaches the game," said Lynch. "He's a competitor. He's a warrior. He plays with such a physicality, also with a grace, the way some of the positions his body can get into. And then he's got a flare for making plays when it matters most. And he served us very well as a franchise. And I think we've got a nice track record of extending the players that are important to us and Brandon's a guy we want to keep around for a long time.”
Lynch saying he wants the 49ers to keep for a "long time" isn't anything new. He once said something similar about DeForest Buckner four years ago. And coincidentally, the 49ers were coming off a Super Bowl appearance at that time too. However, the 49ers may have no desire at all, no matter the offer, for Aiyuk to be had in a trade.
So, is Aiyuk "untouchable" to the 49ers in a trade?
Yea, right. No one is "untouchable" from the moment Buckner was traded. Of course Aiyuk has a price that the 49ers will entertain and can pull the trigger on should a team meet those needs. Aiyuk, despite being an All-Pro, is still a wide receiver. That is not a top five position of critical importance.
If there is one thing that was proven in the Super Bowl for the 49ers, it is that they will benefit from a stronger offensive line than a strong set of skill players. If Aiyuk can be traded to give the 49ers that chance to boost their offensive line, then I believe they will do it or at least strongly consider it.
It's all a matter of how badly the 49ers view their needs, which is offensive line, defensive end, and even cornerback. Trading Aiyuk could supplement them with draft picks that can give them long-term pieces there as well as a couple of immediate impact players in 2024. Now, I don't believe trading Aiyuk should be in the 49ers' plans. They should retain him, but that doesn't mean they won't listen to possible high offers.
Plus, the way Lynch has spoken on Aiyuk about his extension has been a bit odd, especially during the 49ers' exit interview.
"Brandon's entering his fifth-year option," said Lynch. "Brandon's been a fantastic player for us. Kyle calls him a warrior all the time because of the way he goes out and competes. That shines through. Anybody, whether you're a trained eye or whether you're a fan, you can see the passion he plays with. You can see the production that he's had. We're extremely prideful in what he's become and he should be as well. And so, your team is comprised of guys, veterans who've been paid very well, of guys who want to be paid very well. We’ve got one guy on our team who is pretty prominent who can't be paid real well right now because the CBA doesn't allow. So it's all one big puzzle."
Citing his fifth-year option is odd because it didn't need to be. You have to wonder if the 49ers let him play it out, or maybe they are keeping it blurry so that other teams are forced to offer up more. Either way, this is yet another offseason where the 49ers have a player needing to be extended and will be mentioned in trade talks.
