NFL trade rumors have resurfaced once again surrounding 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, and the New England Patriots are right in the thick of it.
After lengthy back-and-forth contract discussions between the 49ers and Aiyuk have gone nowhere this offseason, the star wideout has officially requested a trade from San Francisco, opening the floodgates for a potential blockbuster to take place in the few weeks before the start of next season.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Aiyuk’s name pop up in a potential trade this offseason, as chatter erupted back during this year’s draft revolving around a trade going down.
The Patriots were among the teams that emerged with rumored interest in the 26-year-old, though ultimately, no deal came to form to bring him into Foxboro.
However, we now know what New England may have offered up to San Francisco in an attempt to secure Aiyuk’s services.
According to insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Patriots proposed a second-round pick to the 49ers in exchange for Aiyuk, but were ultimately rebuffed:
“There were five teams, we’re told, who were ready to pay Aiyuk what he wanted before the draft. 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.”
While the Patriots were unsuccessful in April, a new trade request from Aiyuk could give another chance to bring the star pass-catcher to New England. He’s coming off a strong season in San Francisco, posting 75 receptions, a career-best 1,342 yards, and seven touchdowns.
New England’s likelihood of landing Aiyuk boils down to two things: will they pay Aiyuk what he wants, and will they pay the 49ers what they want? Per Florio’s report, the Patriots are already prepared to pay Aiyuk his desired contract, so the deal depends on what San Francisco is willing to part ways with him for– and one second-round pick may not be enough.
Needless to say, keep an eye on both Brandon Aiyuk and the Patriots over the next few weeks as trade talks continue to encircle the 49ers’ WR.
