Would Trading Brandon Aiyuk be a Mistake for the 49ers?

There aren't many football reasons to trade Aiyuk right now.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) reacts after catching a pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The 49ers don't seem to want Brandon Aiyuk anymore.

Just last year, they reluctantly signed him to a four-year, $120 million extension. Then he moped through the first seven games of the season as he attempted to play his way into football shape before he eventually tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus against the Chiefs and missed the rest of the season.

Now, the 49ers trying to trade him.

General manager John Lynch confirmed at the NFL Scouting Combine that the 49ers are listening to trade calls for Aiyuk because the team is under tight financial constraints after spending a whopping $334 million on players last season. That's why the 49ers traded Deebo Samuel and let nine starters leave in free agency.

If the 49ers don't trade Aiyuk before April 1, they'll have to pay him a $23 million option bonus, something they clearly don't want to do. So they just might trade him for peanuts in the next few days to get a team to take his contract off their hands just so they can save cash for Brock Purdy's contract extension.

Which means some team could get a potential No. 1 wide receiver for almost nothing if they're willing to pay him, be patient and invest in his future.

Meanwhile, the 49ers could look extremely foolish if they trade Aiyuk for a sixth-round pick just to save cash and he ultimately returns to the player he was before he signed his extension and blew out his knee.

There aren't many football reasons to trade Aiyuk right now. If they wanted to trade him, they should have done so last year when they could have gotten a first-round pick in return.