Colts surprisingly among favorites to trade for 49ers star wide receiver

The betting markets seem to believe the Indianapolis Colts could make a splash trade for disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Following the news that Aiyuk officially requested a trade from the 49ers, there has been plenty of speculation about where the All-Pro second-team receiver could wind up.

The Colts, for better or worse, are seemingly among the teams who could trade for Aiyuk, according to BetOnline .

While the Pittsburgh Steelers (+350) and Jacksonville Jaguars (+650) have higher odds, the Colts are right behind them at +650 for the third-highest odds.

Aiyuk is coming off a stellar campaign in which he posted 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Colts have the money to make the trade and even though the depth chart is relatively crowded, adding Aiyuk would give Indy an elite receiving corps to surround Anthony Richardson with.

However, this kind of move doesn't seem likely for general manager Chris Ballard. Even with roughly $25 million in salary-cap space — the 10th-most in the NFL — the Colts have always been a cap-conscious team under Ballard's reign.

Spotrac projects Aiyuk's contract to be a four-year deal worth $104.6 million. That comes out to $26.2 million per year.

The Colts re-signed Michael Pittman Jr. to a three-year deal worth $70 million this offseason and then drafted Adonai Mitchell in the second round. It seems they are more focused on developing their talent than making a splash trade like this.

It's likely that Ballard has checked in on the price for Aiyuk, but it would be a surprise if the discussions went beyond that part of the process.