antonio pierce
Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.

The San Francisco 49ers have a major issue to resolve ahead of training camp. Star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been wanting a new contract but it doesn’t appear negotiations have gone well.

According to a July 16 X post from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Aiyuk has officially requested a trade.

Source: #49ers All-Pro WR Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade after an offseason of unsuccessful attempts to reach an extension.

Despite a recent meeting, the Niners haven’t been willing to engage in negotiations since May so Aiyuk has respectfully asked out.

There should be no shortage of interest in Aiyuk around the league. He’s only 26 and coming off a season where he had 1,342 receiving yards. The only issue is that he’s one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL and is going to want to be paid like it.

The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t a team that needs a wide receiver considering they already have Davante Adams on the roster. However, Aiyuk’s camp has previously hinted at interest in Las Vegas. Head coach Antonio Pierce was a defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Arizona State while Aiyuk was there in 2018 and 2019. He’s previously spoken very highly of the coach.

It’s also worth noting that Aiyuk grew up in Reno, Nevada, and spent a lot of time in Las Vegas growing up. There will be teams far more motivated to trade for the wide receiver but the Raiders could be a sleeper team to watch if that’s where Aiyuk wants to play.

Brandon Aiyuk Will Need Massive Contract
Any team that trades for Aiyuk has to be prepared to pay him a massive contract. Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson all got contracts this offseason that pay them $30+ million a season. That’s almost certainly in the ballpark of what Aiyuk will be looking for.

He’s gone back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards and is a former first-round pick. He’s a very valuable asset. It will cost at least one first-round pick to get him in a trade and possibly two.

How Could Las Vegas Raiders Get Brandon Aiyuk?
If the Raiders do have an interest in Aiyuk, they’re going to have to get creative. With the team’s need at quarterback, they can’t afford to give up first-round picks. The most logical player to dangle in front of the 49ers is Adams.

He’s 31 and makes more sense on the 49ers’ timeline. It would provide him the best chance at winning a Super Bowl and bring him very close to his hometown of East Palo Alto, California. The 49ers would get one of the best wide receivers in the NFL who is still under contract for three more seasons.

Since Adams is older, the 49ers likely wouldn’t just swap Aiyuk for him. The Raiders could attach a second-round pick. That may be enough to convince San Francisco to make the trade. If Las Vegas doesn’t want to move Adams, they could build a package around Jakobi Meyers.

He’s a very good No. 2 wide receiver and has a very reasonable contract. His value isn’t as high as Adams so if the package was surrounding Meyers, the Raiders may need to add a first-round pick. Meyers would be a very good fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense and is only a year older than Aiyuk. Either trade could make sense for both sides.