As the silent civil war between the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk extends deeper into the summer, a recent report from NFL.com hints that an eventual reunion between the two sides may be in the cards before the start of the regular season, with a trade now appearing more likely than an extension.
“Contract talks remain stalled, and it seems more likely that Aiyuk will be traded than work out an extension with San Francisco, NFL Network Insiders Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported Monday,” Nick Shook wrote for NFL.com. “Multiple teams are in play for the ascending receiver, but a deal is not in place at this time, per Garafolo and Pelissero.”
Initially drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, Aiyuk has developed into one of the true bright spots of one of the best offenses in the league. Even if a trade could net San Francisco some significant assets, his absence would be hard to ignore.
The 49ers drafted Ricky Pearsall as Brandon Aiyuk insurance
While the 49ers likely wanted to keep Aiyuk around long-term as a reliable pass-catcher for Brock Purdy and potential replacement for Deebo Samuel as WR1, they did secure a contingency plan in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft just in case things went south in the form of Ricky Pearsall at pick 31.
A two-year starter at Florida after beginning his college career at Arizona State, Pearsall is the kind of player the 49ers love; he's got great size at 6-foot-1, 189 pounds with a speedy 4.41 40 time, inside-out versatility, intriguing athleticism as a screen threat, and the sort of shimmy that is seemingly designed in a lab to pick up YAC in Kyle Shannahan's offense.
Though he probably won't match Aiyuk's 2024 production as a rookie – as even Aiyuk didn't do that – if he has to step into a WR2 role this fall, it's safe to assume he will do it justice, even if WR3 next to his fellow former Sun Devil would be ideal.
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