The Brandon Aiyuk trade sweepstakes is heating up.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s 49ers insider Matt Maiocco reported Monday night, citing a league source, that the San Francisco 49ers “have negotiated the framework of trades that would send wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the Cleveland Browns or the New England Patriots.”
According to Maiocco, it’s now “up to Aiyuk to determine if he will accept the contract terms from either of those franchises.”
What would the Patriots and Browns likely need to give up to acquire Aiyuk? A veteran wide receiver and draft picks, per Maiocco.
If the 49ers make the trade with the Patriots, Kendrick Bourne is expected to be the wideout going to San Francisco, Maiocco reports. Bourne played the first four seasons of his NFL career with the 49ers before leaving to sign with the Patriots as a free agent in 2021, so San Francisco knows him pretty well.
Aiyuk is in the final year of his rookie contract and looking for a new deal that would make him among the highest-paid wide receivers in the league. The Patriots still have just over $43 million in salary cap space, per OverTheCap, which is the second-most of any team. They also have a huge need for a wideout of Aiyuk’s caliber.
Aiyuk tallied 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 yards, along with seven touchdowns, in 16 games for the 49ers last season.
The Browns went 11-6 in 2023 and made the playoffs as one of the AFC’s three wild card teams. Franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson played just six games due to injury, while star running back Nick Chubb played just two games because of a torn ACL. Cleveland, if healthy, offers Aiyuk a better chance to win than New England.
The Patriots are a rebuilding team coming off a 4-13 campaign. They drafted North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick and also signed veteran QB Jacoby Brissett in free agency.
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