Patriots called top option to land 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk in blockbuster deal

It doesn't seem like the trade chatter swirling around San Francisco 49ers superstar Brandon Aiyuk is going to slow down any time soon.

San Francisco has a tough decision to make. Aiyuk is looking for a new contract and the two sides haven't been able to come to terms on anything yet. The negotiations haven't gone the way that Aiyuk had hoped for and he even recently officially requested a trade.

The 49ers don't need to trade him. Aiyuk still is under contract and then the franchise tag could always be in play at a later date but there has been plenty of speculation on who could look into a deal if San Francisco actually decided to make a move.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox put together a list of the top players on the trade block with possible landing spots and linked Aiyuk to the New England Patriots.

"49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is the common-sense choice for our No. 1 spot," Knox said. "He possesses a fantastic combination of talent, youth, and upside, and he's interested in pushing his way out of San Francisco...(Adam Schefter) also noted that San Francisco has told interested teams that it has "no intention" of trading Aiyuk. Of course, that stance should be expected. The 49ers aren't going to maximize Aiyuk's trade value by telling teams they don't want to keep him...

"The Patriots lead the NFL with $41.4 million in cap space and have an even bigger need at receiver. New England had arguably the league's worst receiving corps last season and did little to improve it other than adding K.J. Osborn and rookie second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk. The Patriots are looking to develop Drake Maye as their quarterback of the future and could use a proven No. 1 target of Aiyuk's caliber. Potential Landing Spots: New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers."

Aiyuk certainly is well-liked across the National Football League and is one of the top receivers in all of football. If he actually becomes available, don't be surprised if chatter around New England picks up.

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