In the latest online chatter, yet another rumor concerning the future of 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has come to the surface. This rumor has nothing to do with his future in San Francisco or Pittsburgh, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that the wide receiver convinced the 49ers to turn down a trade offer from the Browns that would have included Amari Cooper, a second-round pick, and a fifth-round pick. 
In a moment where Cleveland doesn’t seem to be a part of the conversation, it is interesting that this information would leak, especially when it didn’t amount to anything. Cooper just posted a career high in receiving yards despite missing two games and playing nearly two thirds of the season with backup quarterbacks. Yes, he’s four years older than Aiyuk, but there’s no reason the Browns would choose to make it known that they were willing to move on from their top receiver.
Still, it’s interesting to note Cleveland was prepared to meet San Francisco’s asking price (which, according to Maiocco, includes second- and third-round selections absent any players being included) to finalize a deal. Pittsburgh has not yet been willing to go to those lengths in terms of draft capital on top of not having a comparable receiver to Cooper to offer.
NBC Sports’ Mike Florio points the finger at the 49ers, positing that San Francisco is attempting to make it seem as though Aiyuk is unreasonable and unhelpful when trying to find a solution to the situation.
There’s been speculation that the team has been fielding trade offers with possible extension opportunities in an attempt to gauge Aiyuk’s contract value for their own negotiating purposes. This way, they get a look at what other teams are willing to pay to extend Aiyuk. It also forces Aiyuk to the negotiating table with the promise of talk of what he wants — a trade in which he has input — while allowing the team to continue working towards their own interests — an extension under market value — while he’s at the table.
This is just the latest of lots of speculation and rumors surrounding this situation. It’s hard to see much relevance in the update, but the information does shine some interesting light on one of the league’s more chaotic preseason storylines.
This is so boring now. Aiyuk doesn’t even know what he wants at this point
Lmao
1080i
I don’t know what it means but I won’t it!!!
-Jessica Simpson-
Can’t blame him for not wanting to go to Cleveland. They’re a perpetual dumpster fire.
Cleveland’s a dumpster fire?? How does “your” team stack up against their roster?
The dumpster fire is the QB sitting at the top of that roster.
Cleveland finally found relevance after decades and finally found a good QB after drafting over a dozen of them. They gave all of that up for a QB who has as many harassment accusations from massage parlors as he does career wins. Cleveland finds special ways to be a joke.
Can blame for holding out for more money, then acting like a spoiled brat on where he wants to play. Browns have a talented team with one of the NFLs best Ds. Not sure you know what a dumpster fire is?
Niners nixed the trade no BA
If I was SF I would tell this guy to either play out his contract now or sit out and get fined. They have done everything they can to accomodate him. They offered him a nice salary of 26 million as well as multiple trade offers all of which he has turned down. I would be done wasting time take the years salary or leave it goodbye.
Thats what one of the 49ers media guys suggested. For the next two weeks, just don’t answer any calls from Aiyuk or his agent. Let Brandon sit and think about the dumpster fire he has created by his immature antics on Tik Tok and through the media. There is an entitlement from him and from the Steelers media that if the Niners can’t come to terms on an extension, they are obligated to ship him to Pittsburgh for anything that the Steelers want to give up. The 49ers still have every bit of leverage in this situation. Some people don’t realize that if he declines to play on the 5th year option, he does not accrue service time and the 5th year rolls over to next season and we are back to square one on this situation. When push comes to shove, i still think they get it done and we will see Aiyuk on the field week 1 against the Jets, extension or not. Sacrificing 14.1 million for the season would make him a hypocrite.
Steelers should give them a second a fourth and Watkins
Quez Watkins???? I mean as a Steelers fan, let’s do it! But not sure Quez Watkins moves the needle at all.
Combined with those two picks I mentioned he might. Niners could use another burner WR paired with Deebo and Ricky
Just cause it worked for you in Madden doesn’t mean it works here ATL. dp is right. If they wouldn’t take that deal from Cleveland (where they’d probably ship him anyway) unless the Steelers dangle a 1 it’s not happening. Sounds like they’re less keen on sending back a player too so just cut bait and sign another basket case in JuJu and see what FA brings. Not like we know who would be throwing the ball to a WR who reset the market next year anyway
Hey! Don’t you dare use madden against me!
What about FIFA? Wrong football?
Argh
If they were able to get 2/5 Cooper 2/4 and Watkins ain’t close .. I could see Aiyuk changing mind and going to Cleveland
This is getting ridiculous. It’s looking more and more likely that he’s just going to be unhappy stuck in SF on his 5th year option. Seems like he just wants the contract the Pats offered, but wants it from the Steelers
I don’t think BA knows whose gonna throw the ball on Pittsburgh. By the end of the year which knows whose been benched or banged up because ask Najee Harris that line isn’t the most talented. I really think BA is grossly misjudging the talent on Pittsburgh overall. They have a lot of pieces on defense. A decent WR/TE/RB that BA would upgrade a lot. But thisbcant be a place he wants to go for wins or finally a SB win.
Steelers completely rebuilt their offense line and have a huge upside. They signed Isaac Seumalo last year then spent their 1st round pick last year and 1st and 2nd this year all on OL.
If I were the GM, I wouldn’t care one bit where he wanted to go. Not the GM’s job to appease a soon to be former employee.
He basically has a no trade clause in this situation.
They can’t trade him to any team, because that teams needs him to sign an extension. If the team can’t get him to agree to an extension they have no reason to trade for him.
I see what you’re saying. Then I’d let him sit and not look for trades. Players telling the teams what they can/can’t do is a death knell of the league.
It’s called the NBa
Aiyuk can play under his contract, or retire. He has no leverage. He has no no-trade clause, official or otherwise. The Niners tried to help him move on, he refused. That’s it. He has no recourse. Losing out on Aiyuk is much less damaging to the team than Aiyuk losing out on tens of millions of dollars in the future by not being able to play.
So he wants to reset the wr market after his fourth year when the 49ers could simply hold on to him this year at half that and even franchise tag him next year but also has a short list of where he’s traded after requesting a trade. This guy is all over the place. If you feel SF doesn’t want you well sounds like the Browns do and obviously know they’d have to pay you they’re aware what the 49ers have offered. Is Watson not good enough for him or does he just not like Cleveland.
I’d add to your post that the most ironic part of this is that if you were going to pick the team that has thrown the most guaranteed money around recently, it’d be the Browns.
Maybe the Browns are finally learning from their own mistakes
I could be wrong, but I don’t see how San Fran could possibly be unhappy with this offer. They know that they’re likely to lose Aiyuk. In this deal, they get a bona fide number one receiver, albeit of a different style, and one pretty good pick and one okay pick. Cooper just agreed to an incentive package, and will probably be cheaper if he ends up needing an extension. The age might end up being better-Pearsall might need a couple of years to develop, which might line up better with Cooper’s age being a number one.
So, to me, it seems like a good return for San Fran with things as they stand right now. It doesn’t make sense that they’d demand more than a replacement number one, a second, and another pick. Not only that, the Browns aren’t in the NFC. It does make sense to me that Aiyuk wouldn’t like it on his end. Florio also always faults the institution first, and rarely the player because he wants interviews. I trust his speculative reports less than most others, because, as the pet write for NBC Sports, he has every resource in the world, and chooses to push his own perspective anyway. Again, I could be wrong.
As for Aiyuk…well, it’s getting to the point where he’s going to have to pick between his contract demands and his preferred destination. The teams are going to have to make offers to the 9ers in addition to paying out a contract to him. There aren’t many that will do both, and he needs to either lower his monetary demands, or be more willing to go to get that money from more places. Otherwise, he’s going to stay in San Francisco and have to decide whether he wants to get fined for a year straight or play for the 9ers on whatever they offer-and realize that a bad year will make that contract even harder to come by next year.
The way the article reads, the niners were on board with this trade. Aiyuk said no. The browns wouldn’t accept cause aiyuk didn’t.
As a niner fan I’d be very happy with this trade. He’s a great route runner, great blocker, and has great rapport with brock but it’s getting ridiculous
I agree. I’m sorry if that wasn’t clear. I was making the case that Florio pinning the blame on San Francisco for turning this trade doesn’t make sense. It seems much likely that the article is correct in saying that Aiyuk killed it, not the 9ers.
Florio is just saying the niners leaked the details of Aiyuk squashing it. So as to make him look like the bad guy and difficult here not them.
Yeah, my point is that Florio’s modus operandi to support the player, no matter what. He thinks that it makes him look better and will get an interview or make him an insider, but they mostly ignore him.
Anyway, my opinions aside, I wouldn’t hold it against San Francisco. I mean, I don’t think that Lynch directed this detail be leaked, because it doesn’t help, but I don’t doubt that someone involved either was frustrated or just wanted to leak a juicy piece of gossip. In any case, if it’s true, whomever it makes look “bad” is secondary to the truthful nature of the information.
Florio would like to interject motive into it, but the fact of the matter is that it makes the demands more clear, and it makes the Steelers (who might be the only team left if Aiyuk has rejected the two others) the only player left…and they don’t seem willing to match. Why should they, if they know that Aiyuk only wants to play for them of the teams that are left? If another team was interested before, and hears about this offer not getting it done, I don’t think that they’ll want to suddenly jump in now that the price is obviously so high. Maybe San Fran wants to keep Aiyuk, but it seems that killing a deal should be their last desire at the moment.
@ TigersLoveCinnamon-
That’s funny.
When I suggested Aiyuk had some control over the situations you stated he had “absolutely no control.”
I guess he got more powerful in the last few days.
Aiyuk doesn’t have much control over his situation.
If the 49ers want to take a 3rd round pick and deal him to NE he doesn’t have much say. He can’t veto any trade.
But. 49ers are hoping to squeeze more value out of aiyuk cause if he agrees to an extension 49ers get better compensation cause a team is acquiring 5 years of aiyuk not 2 (5th year and franchise tag).
End of the day though it’s whatever the 49ers want to do
I’d ask NE for Demario Douglas and a conditional 3rd that can become a 2nd based on aiyuks production at this point. Just avoid the headache and distractions. But that’s me.
I Believe We Can Win is correct. Of course, just saying, “screw you” to Aiyuk is not a great way to handle this, but San Fran could do that if they wanted to. If they decide that this is an unworkable solution, they could do just that, and Aiyuk will have to decide whether to hurt his future value by mailing it in or sitting out or pushing through and trying for a big deal next year. Right now, as it stands, we’re looking at a very good player who won’t play for anybody.
@mystic rhythms
Why is it funny? He doesn’t have any control in terms of his current year. You consider him saying no to an extension control, then fine, it’s minimal. They’ll just let him sit until he has to play, and it’ll cost him just like it did leveon
Hes screwing the niners so hard lol
The 49ers are fully prepared to move on without him. They would love to have him but it’s always next man up. Pearsall has looked darn good when he can stay healthy.
“it is interesting that this information would leak, especially when it didn’t amount to anything”.
I think that is a common denominator in most of these “after the fact” articles that PFR is presenting. Someone needs to save face, divert blame or push an agenda so they just put a different spin on what really happened. I suppose the staff here have to indulge these “leakers” but I just ignore those stories.
That could certainly be it, but I could also see someone being legitimately ticked off that an offer that had a lot of work or time put into it got rejected for a reason that they considered silly. Something along the lines of: “They offered this, and it didn’t work. It’s unbelievable.” I could certainly see that sentiment. And, not to mention, there are a lot of moving parts here. It’s easy to see one of those parts leaking on its own, not necessarily with direction to do so. It’s been a frustrating process, surely, for all parties involved.
Florio also discounts the Browns as being the source, but I wouldn’t say that it’s impossible (even if the 9ers are much more likely). They made what they thought was a good offer for a good player. It looks like they were trying, to some. A lot of people do want others to know, “Hey, I tried, they said no.” If they think they did a good job for their part, some people want others to recognize it.
I think deals not happening is a pretty common phenomenon and the parties involved just move on to other business. You generally don’t have to save face or divert blame for the trades that couldn’t be made to happen but if you pull the trigger on a trade that goes badly…then you got some splaining to do.
If you’re well adjusted, then yeah. I think that you should, for my part. I’m not certain that everybody can keep their ego or public perception out if it…
Obviously… Going to the Browns is the equivalent of throwing in the towel for the rest of his life.
This has become quite the soap opera. Aiyuk should be happy he has opportunity to be in the league and become rich.
“If” the Browns offer was legit and SF didn’t jump on that then there’s two teams with dysfunctional front offices. Can’t imagine keeping a player that’s such a prissy ‘it has to be my way’ employee, yet it is SF within CA.
If’n I was Lynch I’d trade him to the Panthers for a hat and couple of shot glasses!
Aiyuk us fast becoming a joke. Disrupting a teams preparation for the season because you are a prima donna is not the best way to endear yourself to teammates. Hope he does go to Cleveland. Star players go there to slowly shrivel away and die. The mistake on the lake sucks every bit of greatness from anyone who plays there and laughs in their face. The only thing good there are the fans who have put up with garbage coaches, inept front office personnel, and an owner who is clueless and they still fill the stands every Sunday.
When will someone sit him down and show him what a WR outside the top 10 and arguably the 4th best option on his own offense should make?
I still bet he stays with 49ers atleast for this year
If a team is willing to trade for a disgruntled jagoff who wants an extension then make the trade.
Allowing him to convince you not to trade for Amari and two picks is either a boldface lie or patently stupid.
At this point in this telenovela, he has absolutely zero leverage.
Trade him and move on
Bench him and watch his career vanish
Just pick a lane ffs
If they can still land it, SF should take the Browns offer and run. Cooper is not that big a downgrade from Aiyuk. They used a 1st and 4th on WRs, have Samuel, and still have good other targets like Kittle and McCaffery. And I’m not sure they can afford all their upcoming contracts.
AI Yucky
Aiyuk is the epitome of what the worst of this sport is! You’re making more annually than what most of us make in a lifetime and you act like this? I can’t belive that SF is actually putting up with this kid! I’d have swapped Cooper for Aiyuk and just been done with this drama. You have lost 2 straight SB’s, you need to be focused on finally completing the job and this whole preseason your letting this drama distract your squad? This is great news for teams like my Lions. Keep on with the soap opera Niners! So glad my squad ain’t gotta deal with spoiled punks like Aiyuk!
Rumors… that’s all these stories are, so take them with a grain of salt!