New England Patriots provide update on Brandon Aiyuk trade negotiations

The New England Patriots are starting over this year. Bill Belichick and former first-round pick Mac Jones are gone. Jerod Mayo and Drake Maye are in. With that, expectations are pretty low for a franchise that has undergone a lot of change. The uncertainty may have contributed to Brandon Aiyuk not having an interest in joining the Patriots via trade. Aiyuk reportedly didn’t like the Patriots’ quarterback situation without knowing whether Maye is the real deal or not.

An unproven offensive line and receiving corps now looks to bounce back after the Patriots had the second-lowest scoring offense in the NFL in 2023. Getting Aiyuk certainly would have helped, but now that possibility may no longer exist.

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New England Patriots front office exec closes door on Brandon Aiyuk trade

Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers still haven’t been able to agree to a contract extension. He is currently set to play on an expiring contract that will allow him to test free agency next offseason. But the 49ers are also dealing with a holdout from future Hall of Famer Trent Williams . They also have to pay Brock Purdy next offseason.

While the 49ers could soon have a lot of moving parts, it doesn’t look like an Aiyuk trade to New England will happen any time soon. If ever.

According to Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, the book is closed on trading for Aiyuk. When asked if the door had fully closed on trading for Aiyuk, Wolf responded, “ Yes, at this point .”

The Patriots were reportedly willing to offer a respectable $32 million per season, yet that wasn’t enough to convince Aiyuk to agree to a trade. However, the Patriots are still excited about the receivers they have.

“Yeah, just kind of a feel. It was sort of a situation where he’s still in San Francisco, and that hasn’t been worked out from their standpoint yet. But we just felt, organizationally, our young receivers have had a really good week, and they’re continuing to progress, so we’re excited about those guys.”

Eliot Wolf on Patriots’ receivers

The Patriots don’t have a defined No. 1 wideout, but they have several potential candidates. Demario Douglas led the team with 561 receiving yards last season, but if all goes according to plan, the Patriots’ leading receiver will top 1,000 yards. Between Ja’Lynn Polk, Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, Javon Baker, and Tyquan Thornton, the Patriots have a lot of competition in the group. We’ll have to wait and see who stands out the most.

Related: Brandon Aiyuk nearing contract extension, but there’s one holdup

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