How Saints Could Beat Crowd to 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

The New Orleans Saints need another playmaker. There's no other way to sugarcoat it. The Saints have weapons on the offensive side of the ball, but need one or two more to really make a run in 2026.

Chris Olave gives the team a clear-cut No. 1 receiver that many teams around the league would love to have. Juwan Johnson has gotten a lot of flak, but this is a guy who had 77 catches, 889 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. That's impressive production and he landed a new deal before the 2025 campaign. The Saints acquired Devaughn Vele before the 2025 season and he looked like a legit weapon for the team after Rashid Shaheed was traded.

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Alvin Kamara is still Alvin Kamara, but he's now 30 years old and it would be wise to pair him with another back who could be a long-term replacement.

The Saints 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

Tyler Shough showed in 2025 that he can put up big numbers. Add one or two more weapons and this team will win a lot of games in 2026. One receiver the team should target is Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers. 49ers general manager John Lynch noted after the season that Aiyuk isn't expected back in 2026 after an odd 2025 season.

"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."

It was a weird season, to say the least. He wasn't around the 49ers and it's unclear what his future in the league even is. NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco joined KNBR and noted that he believes a release is more likely than a trade.

"I would think, at some point, he will be released," Maiocco said. "I can't imagine any team would trade for him. I don't even know, at this point, we haven't heard from Brandon, so we don't know if he wants to continue playing football. That's where this is, as far as the unanswered questions."

If Aiyuk is going to be released, then he would become a free agent and have a chance to sign anywhere. If the 49ers are simply going to release him, why not throw a sixth- or seventh-rounder at San Francisco and see if that could get a deal done? If he hits the open market, there's no guarantee that he will come to town. At least by offering some sort of late-round draft compensation, it would motivate the 49ers to send him to New Orleans.

Aiyuk is just 27 years old. When he was last fully healthy, he had 1,342 yards and 75 catches in 2023. Imagine that type of weapon in New Orleans at a significant discount? Aiyuk had a weird year and there are variables at play, but he's someone who would make New Orleans better and should be considered.

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