Should Los Angeles Chargers Trade One of Their Best Players for Brandon Aiyuk?

Now that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade, we can start to dream about what the second-team All-Pro would look like in a Los Angeles Chargers uniform. In our minds, adding Aiyuk would give Jim Harbaugh’s offense a massive boost, providing Justin Herbert with another necessary tool to lead to an explosive scoring attack .

But what lengths is Chargers GM Joe Hortiz willing to go to just to add a proven playmaker to a receiving corps full of unknown commodities? Would you part with one of the Chargers’ franchise cornerstones to do so?

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The Athletic suggests Los Angeles Chargers should trade Joey Bosa for Brandon Aiyuk

IF the Los Angeles Chargers felt they had the budget to trade for Brandon Aiyuk, they’d have to give him a significant contract extension in one fell swoop. That’s the biggest reason why he’s on the trade block: he’s set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, and the San Francisco 49ers haven’t been able to agree on his value.

We’ve already seen the Chargers cut costs by moving on from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, but being that they were 32 and 29 years old, it’s reasonable to see why Los Angeles didn’t feel like they were worth a big contract.

Aiyuk is different in the sense that he’s still just 26 and may have more room for growth, especially if he were to join a Chargers offense that would make him their No. 1 target. This is different from his situation in San Francisco, where he shares the spotlight with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle.

But again, how much should the Chargers part with for a player who will need to be paid right away?

Recently, The Athletic tried answering this question the best they could. Their solution? Trade Joey Bosa plus a 2025 fourth-round pick for Aiyuk. Obviously, that’s a lot to give up, but moving on from Bosa’s $26.1M cap hit would clear enough room to add another large salary in Aiyuk.

We can see the appeal for San Francisco, as they’d be able to reunite the Bosa brothers and get fair compensation for one of their star receivers. But from the Chargers’ perspective, patching up one area of need just to create another may not be ideal. While the Chargers are excited about Tuli Tuipulotu’s potential after a 4.5-sack rookie year, there’s no guarantee he becomes a star.

Anyway, here’s Daniel Popper’s reasoning behind the trade proposal.

“Bosa, coming off an injury-riddled season, would join his brother Nick in San Francisco. Bosa reworked his contract and took a pay cut in March to remain with the Chargers. He has said he wants to retire with the organization. In that sense, offering him in a trade at this point would be a rather cold move on a human level. Additionally, the Chargers are relying on the strength of their edge rusher group — Bosa, Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree — to elevate a defensive unit otherwise in transition talent-wise. Still, it is an interesting scenario to consider. Bosa is in the final guaranteed year of his deal, and this trade would provide a pretty considerable return before another contract decision is due on Bosa when he is set to count for $36.4 million on the 2025 cap.”

Daniel Popper, Chargers beat writer

What do you think? Is this a trade offer the Chargers should consider to shore up their receiving corps?

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