Why the 49ers Might Consider Trading Brandon Aiyuk

Aiyuk most likely is worth somewhere between $25 million and $27 million per season -- that's a ton of dough. And if the 49ers give it to Aiyuk, lots of analysts will praise the 49ers. But if they don't give him the ball more frequently, what will they really be paying for?

I'm sure the 49ers would love to extend Brandon Aiyuk's contract -- he's an outstanding player. But he also will be extremely expensive soon, and the 49ers don't give him the ball nearly enough to justify what they'd have to pay to keep him.

Aiyuk most likely is worth somewhere between $25 million and $27 million per season -- that's a ton of dough. And if the 49ers give it to Aiyuk, lots of analysts will praise the 49ers. But if they don't give him the ball more frequently, what will they really be paying for?

A wide receiver who earns that much money should be the focal point of his team's passing offense. Think CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs. These receivers all get more than 160 targets per season, while Aiyuk got just 105 last season.

And in big games, Aiyuk frequently becomes the 49ers' third or fourth option behind Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and sometimes George Kittle. It's impossible to say why Kyle Shanahan doesn't trust Aiyuk more in big moments, but he doesn't.

It seems clear the 49ers want to change as little about their offense as possible, and giving Aiyuk more than 160 targets would be a big change. Shanahan would rather feature his running back and lead the league in rushing yards. That's why the 49ers offense ranked dead last in pass attempts last season.

If the 49ers can trade Aiyuk for a first-round pick, I expect they'll do it.

Stay tuned.