Brandon Aiyuk is reportedly open to the possibility of playing elsewhere if not with the 49ers.

Brandon Aiyuk (Via Imago)

One of the biggest highlights of this offseason has been the San Francisco 49ers’ star wide receiver’s contract extension and he continues to be at the center of trade rumors. Recently, Brandon Aiyuk has been spending considerable time with Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, sparking speculation that the star wideout might be joining the Commanders.

The speculations skyrocketed when ESPN’s Adam Schefter added value to it, saying the 49ers explored the option of trading Aiyuk to the Commanders briefly. Since the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss, Aiyuk has been expressing displeasure with his contract situation.

His expectations heightened when he saw teams around him hefty paying their wide receiver. And since the four-time Pro Bowler majorly contributed to his team’s run to the Super Bowl, he expected a deal close to the highest-paid receivers in the league. However, things went sideways when the 49ers offered him much below his standards, followed by rumors of trade possibilities.

Amidst the extension chaos, the 2023 Second-team All-Pro gave a brutally honest response to Schefter’s report shared on Instagram by JPA Football.

But I thought the niners was never tryna trade me?

Brandon Aiyuk commented on the post

Aiyuk’s response was based on a previous report by the ESPN reporter, where he claimed the 49ers and the wideout are close to signing a deal and the franchise does not wish to trade him.

Brandon Aiyuk open to 49ers trade amid contract dispute

Since the contract negotiation isn’t happening as Aiyuk desired with the 49ers, he seemed open to the possibility of playing elsewhere. In a recent episode of NFL Live, ESPN’s Ryan Clark confirmed the news by sharing the details of a meeting the receiver had with the 49ers.

He says he wants to be in San Francisco first but is comfortable playing elsewhere if that's something that the San Francisco 49ers are willing to do via trade. I'm not a tea leaf reader, but it seems like Aiyuk wouldn't mind playing in Washington.” 

Ryan Clark said on Tuesday

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (Image via IMAGO)
However, the 49ers haven’t made any official statement or hinted any the trade conversation with the Commanders. Previously, during the 2024 draft, they did admit exploring the trade options but claimed no such deal could be made.