The 49ers Can Only Trade Brandon Aiyuk To 5 Teams

It's old news that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has requested a trade . He is expected to play under his fifth-year rookie option, and the team seems uninterested in re-signing him to a long-term extension. Reports from the city by the bay have Aiyuk wanting a contract similar to the ones recently signed by AJ Brown and Amon-Ra St Brown.

Based on recent developments, Aiyuk does not just want to get a bag of money, he also wants to play with an elite quarterback. He turned down trades to the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, claiming the former did not have an ideal quarterback situation. The uncertainty at the position in Cleveland likely contributed to him nixing that deal as well.

Using St Brown's contract structure (4 years/$120 million with $77 million guaranteed) as the basis for a new Aiyuk deal, there are 15 teams that can currently absorb the cap hit in 2024 ($14 million), 2025 ($14 million), and 2026 ($33 million). Only five of those teams have an elite quarterback under contract for those years as well.

1. Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have $33 million in cap space this season. That is more than enough to absorb Aiyuk's option year. In 2025, they have $85 million in cap space and in 2026 they have $122 million. They just drafted Marvin Harrison Jr and adding Aiyuk to the mix would give them one of the best receiving duos in the NFL.

Kyler Murray missed a large part of 2023 due to injury, but he has a career completion percentage of 67%. Not only is he accurate but he also features one of the strongest arms in the league. If anyone could maximize Aiyuk's potential, it would be the little guy at quarterback.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

The first thing Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh did when he got to Tinseltown was to ship out the teams top two receivers. They have a desperate need for veteran leadership, and the cap space in 2024 ($20.7 million), 2025 ($42.9 million), and 2026 ($152.5 million) to get it.

Justin Herbert is also locked in through the 2029 season. He has been one of the best signal callers in the league since the Chargers drafted him out of Oregon in 2020. In his first three seasons, he threw for 4,336 yards, 5,014 yards, and 4,739 yards respectively. Aiyuk could catch passes from a young stud and stay in California if he went to the Chargers.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have not had the same kind of success as the 49ers over the last few years, but they can afford to give Aiyuk a top-five contract. They have $26.9 million in cap space this season, $20.1 million in 2025, and $68.9 million in 2026. If they structure the contract the same way the Lions did for Amon-Ra, they could acquire Aiyuk.

The Jags also have a young elite quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. He was the first overall pick in the 2021 draft and was the highest-graded prospect since Andrew Luck. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards the past two seasons, led his team to the playoffs, and made the Pro Bowl. Brandon Aiyuk would make a nice weapon for him over the next four or five seasons.

4. Detroit Lions

The team that just signed Amon-Ra St. Brown could afford to add Aiyuk to go alongside him. The Lions have $42.8 million in cap space this season, $25.1 million in 2025, and $46.8 million in 2026. They were two dropped passes from going to the Super Bowl and Brandon Aiyuk would be the piece they need.

Jared Goff has statistically been the best quarterback in the NFL in the last two seasons. Despite being at the bottom of the player's Top 100 list, he has amassed over 9,000 yards and 59 touchdowns since 2022. The team just locked him up long-term, and he would be throwing passes to Aiyuk through the 2028 season.

5. Cincinatti Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are the most intriguing team with the ability to sign Aiyuk that would actually appeal to him. They have $$19.4 million in cap space this season, $35.3 million in 2025, and $158.4 million in 2026. Tee Higgins is likely out after this season, if not during the season, and they will need another weapon to go with Ja'Marr Chase.

Joe Burrow, aka The Tiger King, is signed through the 2029 season. He gets injured every other year, but when he's healthy he is one of the top three quarterbacks in the league. He has even been called Mahomes Kryptonite, due to his record against the three-time Super Bowl winner during the regular season and the playoffs. It might be unfair to give him a weapon like Aiyuk.