Should Colts Pursue 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk?

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The smell of football is in the air and with NFL teams across the country getting ready to open training camps in the next week or so it only makes sense that there are still some hurt feelings from the off-season that have lingered.  Case in point: 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk requesting a trade out of San Francisco after he and the team were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension during the off-season.

The 26-year old All-Pro wideout is coming off a 2023 season where he hauled in 75 catches for a career-high 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns.  He’s also under a $14.1 million dollar club option in 2024 that the 49ers picked up.  Not only is he under team control in 2024 but the 49ers can then franchise tag him for the 2025 season if they want to.

Needless to say, Aiyuk doesn’t have much leverage at all in terms of finding his way out of San Francisco and the 49ers feel like the contract extension numbers they offered Aiyuk earlier in the off-season were fair and they aren’t willing to budge off of it.  So what does that mean for the Colts?  Is there any scenario in which Chris Ballard would go outside the box and make a huge splash move to bring Aiyuk to Indianapolis?

History says it’s incredibly unlikely.  Not only because of Ballard being keen on sticking with his own guys but also because he just doesn’t make overly bold moves, especially at the wide receiver position, as fans are very aware of since he’s been the Colts GM.  A trade package would likely involve a pretty decent draft pick or two at the very least and also a financial commitment in the form of a contract extension, something the Colts just did with Michael Pittman Jr.

The Colts aren’t considered a favorite to land Aiyuk, which tells you Vegas oddsmakers aren’t thinking Ballard will pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal for the frustrated wideout.  The biggest component, outside of the draft and financial compensation as to why the Colts wouldn’t pursue a trade for Aiyuk is the fact that they don’t really know what they have in quarterback Anthony Richardson yet.  Richardson had a very limited rookie season because of injuries and it’s perfectly understandable that the Colts wouldn’t pull off a splash move like Aiyuk.  It would add instantly more expectations around the Colts, put more pressure on Richardson and would be a move that signals the team is in “win now” mode, something they look to be a season or two away from at the very earliest.

Could the Colts pull off a stunner and put the rest of the NFL on notice?  Sure.  It seems unlikely though.  On top of everything else, Aiyuk is not a Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb-like No. 1 wide receiver.  He’s a great complimentary piece on a team like the 49ers that has him alongside Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.  But committing multiple draft picks and a ton of money on an extension is another story.  If he walks after the season and it’s just a financial commitment, that’s one thing.  But as it stands now the Colts would be served best by holding serve on the latest shiny object in the window.

If you want to hear our conversation surrounding the Colts potentially pursuing Brandon Aiyuk, you can catch it in the link below!

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