The San Francisco 49ers’ star player, Brandon Aiyuk, has been experiencing a pretty challenging time in the last few years as he was placed on PUP in the last season after sustaining brutal injuries in Week 7 in 2024. Though the team seems focused on trading him and the Washington Commanders have been strongly linked to Brandon Aiyuk, nothing has been confirmed yet. Amid this, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cleveland Browns have emerged as strong landing spots for him.
Which teams are interested in Brandon Aiyuk?
While the Washington Commanders have often been linked to him, as per NFL insiders, other teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins seem interested in Brandon Aiyuk amid his brutal injuries.
What are insiders saying about the trade rumors?
A few hours ago, USA Today’s Marcus D. Smith noted in a recent report, “The Raiders organization has had a knack historically for taking in disgruntled or forgotten players and giving them another chance in their football careers. Aiyuk maxed out his stay in San Francisco, and his actions over the past 12 months indicate that it’s irreparable. They could be a dark-horse to bring in more wideout talent to surround their quarterback tandem of Kirk Cousins and No. 1-pick Fernando Mendoza.”USA Today’s Marcus D. Smith added, “Cleveland has been linked to acquiring Aiyuk, mainly due to the fact that the Browns have made passes at Aiyuk in the past, but they never were able to see it through. The Browns, like the Raiders, are known for giving second chances and for seeing something in players who may have had unfavorable exits from a previous team. Plus, Cleveland will look to add weapons for Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson.”
Contract details and salary cap implications
Back in 2024, the star player Brandon Aiyuk had originally signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the team. While it seemed like a good deal, the contract is effectively dead since he ended up missing rehab obligations and team meetings because of his brutal knee injury in Week 7 of the same season.This resulted in the San Francisco 49ers officially voiding his $27 million in 2026 contract guarantees. For the team, trading Brandon Aiyuk will trigger a $34.6 million dead cap penalty from his unamortized signing bonuses.For the Cleveland Browns, the team would have to agree to a long term deal with him and might have to absorb a $26+ million cap hit for 2026 if they agree on his current contract.For the Las Vegas Raiders, with Brandon Aiyuk having no remaining guaranteed money, the team could demand a relatively cheaper but incentive heavy contract to protect the team’s salary cap if he is still recovering from his injuries.
How could the trade impact the teams?
Back in 2023, Brandon Aiyuk earned Second-Team All-Pro honors after recording a career high 1,342 receiving yards.For the San Francisco 49ers, the team would end up losing a talented player but his constant injuries have sparked some concern. Trading him will also clear up future salary cap space which allows the team to sign veterans.For the Cleveland Browns, though Brandon Aiyuk could be an impactful addition to the team as he helps Deshaun Watson, trading for him might be a bit too expensive for the team. For the Las Vegas Raiders, Brandon Aiyuk could replace Davante Adams in the team for a promising performance in the next season as the team could also offer a relatively cheaper contract.
