The San Francisco 49ers have had many notable players depart this offseason. Six members of the 49ers' Super Bowl 58 roster joined new teams, including Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Elijah Mitchell, Aaron Banks, Jaylen Moore, and Charvarius Ward. That said, another member of that Super Bowl team has been subjected to trade rumors this offseason.
That player is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk signed a four-year deal worth $120 million last offseason but sat out most of training camp, which created tension within the facility. As a result, speculation and belief started to grow that the organization may explore moving the 27-year-old this offseason.
Fortunately, general manager John Lynch made the organization's plans for Aiyuk clear during his media appearance on Monday at the NFL owners meetings. According to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, Lynch said, "We love Brandon Aiyuk as a football player. We did when we drafted him, and we're excited to move forward with him." He also added that he doesn't regret giving him a contract extension.
#49ers GM John Lynch says he expects WR Brandon Aiyuk to be a part of the team this year. He said he thought there was "spill over" from last year where teams wanted to try to acquire Aiyuk.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) March 31, 2025
But added "there's no regret" about the extension.
"We love Brandon Aiyuk as a…
John Lynch Ends Brandon Aiyuk Trade Speculation
Lynch's comments about Aiyuk's future with the team shouldn't come as a surprise. San Francisco did everything possible to make sure he stayed with the team last offseason when they could have traded him and let another team pay him a big contract.
So, the speculation surrounding an Aiyuk trade was confusing in the first place. While the 27-year-old will be coming off a torn ACL, that doesn't mean he will play like he did in 2024. Prior to his injury, Aiyuk was off to a slow start in 2024, recording 25 receptions (47 targets) for 374 yards.
Aiyuk's slow start was likely due to his lack of offseason conditioning. His participation in OTAs, minicamp, and training camp this offseason will again be limited if he even sees the field during that time.
Nevertheless, if Aiyuk can return to his 2023 form, he will continue to be a fixture in the 49ers' offense.