Do the Patriots have a shot at landing WR Brandon Aiyuk? Phil Perry and Mike Giardi weigh in with Trenni Casey on Arbella Early Edition
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is entering the final year of his contract, and he reportedly wants more than $25 million per season in his next deal.
Aiyuk requested a trade last week, making him a player to watch as NFL training camps start this week.
The star wideout drew plenty of interest in the trade market before the 2024 NFL Draft in late April, though. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reported Saturday that several teams were interested in both trading for Aiyuk and paying him what he wanted ahead of the draft.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The New England Patriots were one of those teams, per Florio. He reports they offered a second-round pick for Aiyuk.
"There were five teams, we’re told, who were ready to pay Aiyuk what he wanted before the draft," Florio wrote. "If they could also reach acceptable trade terms with the 49ers, he would have been traded.
"That part didn’t happen. It’s unclear what the 49ers wanted at the time. They rejected an offer of a second-round pick from the Patriots. Other interested teams were, and potentially still are, the Steelers and Commanders."
More Patriots coverage
It's not clear which second-round pick the Patriots offered for Aiyuk, or if they remain interested in a trade. They used their 2024 second-rounder (originally No. 34 overall) to select Washington wideout Ja'Lynn Polk at No. 37 overall. They also drafted UCF wide receiver Javon Baker in the fourth round.
That said, the Patriots still have a need for a legitimate No. 1 wideout like Aiyuk. They have pretty good depth at wide receiver after re-signing Kendrick Bourne, signing K.J. Osborn, and drafting Polk and Baker. DeMario Douglas is primed for a second-year breakout, and veteran tight end Hunter Henry also re-signed.
But Aiyuk is in a different class than all of them. He's a strong, physical wideout capable of dominating all over the field and putting up eye-popping stats. He tallied 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 yards, along with seven touchdowns in 16 games for the 49ers last season.
The Patriots still have around $43 million in salary cap space, which is nearly $7 million more than any other team, per OverTheCap. They have the financial flexibility to pay Aiyuk what he's seeking.
The real question now is: Are the Patriots still interested in Aiyuk? And if the answer is yes, are they willing to pay whatever price the 49ers have set for the talented wideout?
