Until the San Francisco 49ers come to terms on a long-term extension with Brandon Aiyuk, there will continue to be trade speculation surrounding the All-Pro wide receiver.

Aiyuk stoked those flames on Monday by claiming the 49ers had informed the 2020 first-round pick they did not want him back in a FaceTime chat with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that he posted to TikTok.

Yet all the reports are that the 49ers do, in fact, want to keep Aiyuk for the long term, though they have yet to find a price that would satisfy their leading wideout and allow them to achieve that goal.

Since the draft passed without a trade, the likelihood has always been that Aiyuk will remain with the 49ers in 2024. But what if he goes into the coming season without a new deal?

Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr posited such a scenario in making 100 bold predictions for the 2024 season.

Orr wrote:

37. Brandon Aiyuk will be traded to the New Orleans Saints at the deadline
After a strong showing by rookie first-round pick Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers will deem the contractless Aiyuk expendable and find a willing suitor in the surprisingly feisty Saints, who will have a winning record at the deadline and one of Aiyuk’s former offensive coaches, Klint Kubiak, calling the plays. 

The 49ers might be reluctant to trade Aiyuk to a "feisty" NFC rival, but let's put that complication to one side.

For San Francisco, the bigger issue for a potential in-season trade of Aiyuk is what it would require, which in this case would be breakout potential being shown by Pearsall and their other rookie receiver, fourth-round pick Jacob Cowing.

Pearsall compares very well to Aiyuk in that he is detailed route-runner who can consistently separate against man coverage. However, an average depth of target of 11 yards that ranked tied 50th among receivers in the 2024 class, per Pro Football Focus, suggests he may not be well-equipped to replace Aiyuk as a deep threat. Aiyuk graded as PFF's premier receiver on throws of 20 or more yards last season.

His 20 targets of at least 20 yards saw 11 catches for 342 yards and four touchdowns for Pearsall in his final year at Florida, perhaps indicating untapped potential in that area. Yet the 49ers would likely also need to see promising signs from former Arizona wideout Cowing, who has 4.3 speed at his disposal, as a dynamic downfield threat to feel confident their offense could thrive without Aiyuk.

Pearsall has caught the eye early and will undoubtedly get opportunities to impress in 11 personnel for San Francisco. Yet, with Jauan Jennings also in the mix for that third receiver spot, it seems extremely unlikely that Pearsall and Cowing will get enough snaps between then to impress the 49ers to a point where they are comfortable trading Aiyuk at the deadline.

Of course, if Pearsall and Cowing earn the requisite playing time and then take advantage of it to a point where an Aiyuk deadline trade becomes a conversation, then the 49ers will be in an excellent position to continue to thrive on offense even after paying Brock Purdy.

Dealing Aiyuk would give the Niners more room for maneuver next offseason when the Purdy extension will be the priority, but San Francisco's track record says the 49ers won't let it get to a point where their top pass-catcher from the last two seasons could be a trade deadline consideration for rival teams.

San Francisco 49ers finally complete huge offseason task with training camp on the horizon

The job is done.