Brandon Aiyuk's future with the San Francisco 49ers is one of the most compelling storylines in the NFL right now, and the New England Patriots are right in the middle of the action.
The Patriots, along with the Cleveland Browns, have the framework of a deal in place for Aiyuk, per NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco, who added it's now up to Aiyuk to decide whether he wants to sign a new contract with one of those teams.
Maiocco reported that the price for Aiyuk is likely to be a veteran wide receiver plus draft picks. If the 49ers make a deal with the Patriots, the wideout going to San Francisco is expected to be Kendrick Bourne, per Maiocco.
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Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo refused to talk about the Aiyuk trade rumors before Tuesday's training camp practice at Gillette Stadium. He did answer a question about Bourne, though. Mayo admitted he had a conversation with the 29-year-old wide receiver about the situation.
"Honestly, I did talk to him this morning, and it was a good conversation," Mayo told reporters. "Once again, I feel like the story is so much further along than anything else. I just wanted to make sure we cleared the air. I do believe in being transparent with the players and really just setting those guys at ease."
The 49ers cannot afford to take a meaningful step back offensively because their window to win the Super Bowl is right now. Trading Aiyuk without getting a quality veteran wideout in return would be a tough setback to San Francisco's passing attack.
Bourne played the first four seasons of his career with the 49ers after they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He left the 49ers to sign with the Patriots as a free agent in 2021. The 49ers coaching staff has plenty of familiarity with Bourne from his time in the Bay Area, so including him in a potential Aiyuk trade would make sense.
Bourne tore his ACL in the Patriots' Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins last October. He tallied 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns before the injury.