Breaking: 49ers Are Closing In On Deal To Sign $15.4 Million WR And Return Specialist…..
49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is not happy with his team. He has been posting cryptic things about his situation with the 49ers and—tell me if you have heard this before—unfollowed his team on social media.
Whether this is contract leverage or a way to get out of town is unknown. Naturally, though, trade rumors are heating up which begs the question of if the Falcons should continue retooling their wide receiver position by trading for the All-Pro receiver.
Will the Falcons trade for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk?
Going into the offseason, the Atlanta Falcons had just one wide receiver under contract for 2024 who had caught a pass in the last few years—Drake London.
The front office addressed it aggressively. They signed Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud and traded for Rondale Moore. They were great moves but the team still needs to add another guy.
Brandon Aiyuk is a great player who would fit well as a separator and playmaker for Zac Robinson. He has improved every season leading to his 1,300-yard, 7-touchdown season in 2023.
However, you would have to give up a premium draft pick for the 49ers to agree to give up the rights to Aiyuk. He is a big part of their offense and Kyle Shanahan knows that better than anyone—even if the two don’t see eye-to-eye.
Not to mention, giving up a draft pick also means you have to invest in him for the long haul. He is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal, he needs to be secured beyond 2024—in other words, avoid what the Texans just did with Stefon Diggs.
I can confidently say that the Falcons won’t trade for Brandon Aiyuk. He would cost too much (draft pick(s), long-term commitment, and cap space) which isn’t a good thing when you just spent three straight top-ten picks on skill players who will want new contracts in the coming years.
Russell Wilson had a rivalry with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick at one point when he was with the Seattle Seahawks, but the current Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller had high praise for Kaepernick in a recent interview.
Wison spoke about the evolution of black quarterbacks in the NFL. He said winning a Super Bowl helped open up doors for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to go and win more with the Kansas City Chiefs:
“For me to be able to go to back-to-back Super Bowls, and win one of them, I think opened up a lot of doors,” he says. “Now you see guys like Patrick Mahomes who won it; it’s really just us so far, but there’s more to come…
“What I love to see is guys getting drafted early, and that a lot of teams these days have Black quarterbacks playing for them,” Wilson says. “It’s all across the league, and it’s showing how the National Football League is starting to evolve, change and break down barriers. I think one of the biggest blessings of my career so far is that I’ve been fortunate to be able to open up doors for others, because of what others did for me.”
Wilson’s comments didn’t sit right with former tight end Shannon Sharpe. Per a transcription of Sharpe’s comments on his podcast by Sports Illustrated, Sharpe suggested Wilson was being shortsighted about his role in opening doors:
