Latest Brandon Aiyuk development could increase talk of 49ers trading disgruntled receiver to NFC rival
The San Francisco 49ers meeting with Brandon Aiyuk to discuss negotiations over his long-term extension with the team should not necessarily be seen as a step that will result in them finally coming to an agreement. And one detail revealed by ESPN analyst Ryan Clark is likely to increase talk of him being traded to […]
The San Francisco 49ers meeting with Brandon Aiyuk to discuss negotiations over his long-term extension with the team should not necessarily be seen as a step that will result in them finally coming to an agreement.
And one detail revealed by ESPN analyst Ryan Clark is likely to increase talk of him being traded to one team in particular.
Clark, in disclosing that Aiyuk had requested to meet with general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan about talks that have left him increasingly frustrated, said that he learned of the wide receiver's impromptu decision after speaking with him for his podcast 'The Pivot'.
However, Aiyuk was not the only current NFL player in the room.
Said Clark on NFL Live:
"He said that he's taking these negotiations personal, that the way that they have negotiated with him, the way that they have told him why he's worth what he's worth, it has touched him, it has affected him. He says he wants to be in San Francisco first, but is comfortable playing elsewhere if that's something that the San Francisco 49ers are willing to do via trade, and I will tell you this, when he sat with us, he did not walk into the room alone. First it was Brandon Aiyuk, second it was Jayden Daniels. I'm not a tea leaf reader, but the way that sounds is that Brandon Aiyuk wouldn't mind playing in Washington."
Commanders quarterback Daniels was part of last week's development regarding Aiyuk, with the Niners receiver telling this year's second overall pick that San Francisco had said it did not want him back. The video of that conversation was posted on TikTok, though Aiyuk's claims have been refuted in subsequent media reports.
It would be no surprise if Aiyuk is keen on playing in Washington, as he and Daniels are close friends from their time together at Arizona State.
There is also a clear connection between the two franchises, with Washington's general manager Adam Peters hired away from the 49ers this year. Peters was previously San Francisco's assistant GM.
With the second-most cap space in the NFL, the Commanders would have little problem fitting an Aiyuk contract on their books. Of all the NFC teams that could be interested in Aiyuk, the Commanders make the most sense.
The likelihood is still that the 49ers manage to find a resolution with Aiyuk and, given his strong relationship with Lynch and Shanahan, the immediate inclination is to believe the meeting will advance things in that direction.
Yet the Commanders loom as a likely destination if things break down, and talk of the situation going down that path won't go away until the 49ers agree that long-awaited extension for their top receiver.
49ers and Brandon Aiyuk agree to take unusual step in negotiations over contract extension
Hopefully it will help reach a resolution.