The New England Patriots apparently put their best put forward in the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes -- on multiple fronts.
The Patriots aggressively pursued the Second-Team All-Pro wide receiver on the trade market this offseason, sending trade proposals to the San Francisco 49ers both prior to the NFL Draft in April and during Aiyuk's training camp holdout in early August.
In fact, the 49ers reportedly had the "framework" of trades in place with both the Patriots and Cleveland Browns at one point. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer joined NBC Sports Boston's Sports Sunday to reveal New England's proposal for Aiyuk.
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"If a deal had gotten done, it would have been for a 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick and (Patriots wide receiver) Kendrick Bourne," Breer said.
Reports suggest the 49ers would have accepted that trade, but the bigger issue was the new contract Aiyuk sought. Breer reported the Patriots actually sent Aiyuk two contract proposals and had the strongest financial offers of any team in the mix for the star wideout, who eventually signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with San Francisco.
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"I was told that of the teams that were in this, they had the strongest monetary offers in just about every way," Breer said of the Patriots. "They offered him a three-year deal at $90 million. They offered him a four-year deal that averaged $32.4 million per year.
"So, they offered him the shorter deal, which players usually prefer, at a little bit less money, but that was still at $30 (million), which is what he got on a four-year deal in San Francisco."
While Breer didn't have specifics on what the Patriots offered Aiyuk in guaranteed money, he was clear that they proposed the best deal.
"Generally the first three years of these deals are either guaranteed or virtually guaranteed," Breer added. "I was told flat-out that if this was about the money, in just about every way, New England won."
Unfortunately for the Patriots, money wasn't enough.
Aiyuk "showed no interest" in accepting New England's contract terms, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. The Patriots are expected to have one of the NFL's worst offenses in 2024 with a journeyman veteran starting at quarterback behind a patchwork offensive line that struggled mightily in training camp and the preseason. The 49ers, meanwhile, are just seven months removed from a Super Bowl appearance and are expected to be one of the NFC's best teams.
So if Aiyuk wants to win games, it's not surprising he's still in San Francisco despite the Patriots' best efforts.