Chargers Might Just Make Sense as Overlooked Trade Partner for 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk

If Mike McDaniel wants Brandon Aiyuk, do the Chargers make it happen?

Brandon Aiyuk | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

It’s still fun to think about the Los Angeles Chargers trading for a star wide receiver this offseason. 

Granted, the Chargers trading for AJ Brown is still something we’re doing deep dives on because frankly, it makes a ton of sense and the team had at least expressed some level of interest in the Philadelphia Eagles star. 

Tyreek Hill is always out there in free agency, too. 

But there’s a fun one with prior Mike McDaniel connections out there, too: San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk. 

Aiyuk was a breakout in San Francisco before an ACL injury in 2024 and battled to stay consistent since. But he’s still 28 years old and at his peak, was clearly a top option. 

Chargers trading for Brandon Aiyuk is underrated?

Brandon Aiyuk | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Look, McDaniel’s connection with Aiyuk isn’t as strong as it might be with say, Deebo Samuel. But there’s a small one there and it’s worth a smaller zoom. 

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently hit on this topic, tabbing the Chargers as an underrated landing spot for Aiyuk because of how he could fit that Quentin Johnston-like role for the offense. 

“As with all of these trade landing spots, it's assumed here that Aiyuk is at least close to the player who surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in 2022 and 2023,” Davenport wrote. “If he is, he could be for the Chargers what they wanted Johnston to be: the outside complement to McConkey in the slot.”

The Chargers picked up Johnston’s fifth-year option, but that doesn’t mean he’ll get a guaranteed share of snap counts over the next two years by any means. This is a team, after all, that spent a second-round pick on Tre Harris last year for a reason.

Speaking of Harris, at least three of the wideouts about to make the final roster are second-year players or younger. Adding a veteran, even if it's just Keenan Allen coming back, still makes a ton of sense. 

Adding Aiyuk at what might be a reasonable price isn’t the worst idea in the world for the Chargers, but they would certainly want to renegotiate his contract in the process, considering he signed a four-year extension worth $120 million. 

Granted, the Chargers usually like to play it safe. Aiyuk is a pretty big risk after appearing in just seven games last year. But they’ve also given McDaniel whatever he’s seemed to ask for, so if he wants Aiyuk, perhaps it’s not as unrealistic as it seems.

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