Trade rumors involving San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk intensified on Monday, and with the possibility of a move looking more likely, much talk is centering on interested teams.
Multiple teams have contacted the 49ers over a potential Aiyuk trade, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. However, no deal appears to be close. The report suggests that three teams are most prominently in the mix: the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and potentially the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots gained some steam as a possible destination over the weekend, but it is unclear what the 49ers would want and how willing the aforementioned teams are to meet the asking price. New England has the cap space to make a deal and extend Aiyuk, and may have pieces that the 49ers would be intrigued by. The Browns and Steelers both see themselves as contenders, but Pittsburgh lacks a proven No. 1 wide receiver and Cleveland would like to upgrade on veteran Amari Cooper.
Aiyuk has been holding out from 49ers camp as he seeks a new long-term contract, and the two sides do not appear to be getting any closer to an agreement. One report Monday even suggested that Aiyuk may be more likely to be traded than not at this stage. He caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns last season in what was his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. He is set to make $14 million in the final year of his rookie contract this season.
