Five teams were willing to pay Brandon Aiyuk before the draft

49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk recently requested a trade, but negotiations took place before the draft.

The negotiations took place not because Aiyuk wanted to leave, but because the 49ers invited his representatives to see if another team would pay Aiyuk what he wanted on a long-term contract.

At the time, the magic number was around $28 million per year. That has likely changed, given the Vikings’ landmark deal with receiver Justin Jefferson.

Regardless, five teams, we’re told, were willing to pay Aiyuk whatever he wanted before the draft. If they could have also reached acceptable trade terms with the 49ers, he would have been traded.

That game didn’t happen. It’s unclear what the 49ers wanted at the time. They rejected an offer of a second-round pick from the Patriots. Other interested teams were, and may still be, the Steelers and Commanders.

A post-draft trade becomes problematic for the 49ers unless someone can offer a current player who will help the 49ers win in 2024. If the best offer includes 2025 draft picks, the 49ers might be tempted to take a hard line with Aiyuk, forcing him to finish out the final year of his 2020 first-round rookie contract, then potentially tagging and trading him after the season.

Much of what happens will depend on how aggressively Aiyuk demands a trade. Will he hold out in training camp? Will he stay on the field through the end of the regular season, report in time to earn credit for 2024 and set the stage for a 2025 exit?