Jets Can’t Ignore Brandon Aiyuk With 49ers Set To Move On

One thing that is true about the New York Jets is that they have plenty of ammo at their disposal as they look to add pieces to the franchise this offseason.

New York is loaded with over $66 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap, with a pathway to add more. The Jets have plenty of draft capital, starting with two first-round picks and the first pick in the second round of the 2026 National Football League Draft. The most pressing question for the Jets remains quarterback. That will be discussed at length throughout the offseason, but it isn't the only area the Jets need to add. New York needs to add another high-end receiver, a handful of defensive players, including at least one edge rusher and safety, and also figure out the running back position. Primarily, if Breece Hall will be back.

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For the receiver room, one situation the team should be monitoring closely is Brandon Aiyuk's standing with the San Francisco 49ers. On Wednesday, 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed that Aiyuk's time with San Francisco will come to an end this offseason.

The Jets should call the 49ers

Oct 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) walks on the field before the start of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

"It's no longer a question of if the San Francisco 49ers will move on from wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. It's when it will become official," ESPN's Nick Wagoner wrote. "At Wednesday's end-of-season news conference, Niners general manager John Lynch confirmed what has been obvious for months: Aiyuk will not return to the only NFL team he has ever known.

"'I think it's safe to say that he's played his last snap with the Niners,' Lynch said. 'It's unfortunate. A situation that just went awry. And I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. And I think that this was a case where that happened.' Lynch added that a transaction with Aiyuk -- a release or, more unlikely, a trade -- would come in 'due time.' That move will end one of the more tumultuous player-team standoffs in recent memory."

If -- and when -- Aiyuk becomes available, he's the type of receiver the Jets should be all over. New York has one superstar in place in Garrett Wilson. Supplementing the room with a 27-year-old with big-time talent would make things easier for whoever ends up being under center. The drama of the season has overshadowed the fact that the last time Aiyuk was fully healthy, he racked up over 1,300 receiving yards.

New York should give the 49ers a call.

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