(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
One of the main reasons wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has become disgruntled with the San Francisco 49ers is that the team hasn’t been willing to pay him what he wants in contract talks on a per-season basis.
This led the star wideout to request a trade, as it seems the 49ers and his representatives may never see eye-to-eye on a new deal and he believes he will get the compensation he desires elsewhere in the NFL.
With Aiyuk becoming one of the best wide receivers in the game over the past couple of seasons, there is a demand for his services around the league, with a few teams surfacing as potential trade partners.
Initially, it was the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns that were showing interest in Aiyuk, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have been added to the mix, with all three teams having a need at the position.
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the Patriots were more than willing to pay Aiyuk a premium for his services, but the receiver did not want to play for them.
“The Patriots were willing to pay 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk up to $32 million per season,” Reiss reported, via JPA Football. “Seems like Brandon Aiyuk really did not want to go to New England.”
The #Patriots were willing to pay #49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk up to $32 million per season, per @MikeReiss
Seems like Brandon Aiyuk really did not want to go to New England. pic.twitter.com/YFK5CyPF98
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) August 7, 2024
At $32 million per season, Aiyuk would become one of the highest-paid receivers in the league, but there’s a chance he didn’t value the money over being in a situation where he could win games and compete for a Super Bowl title.
New England parted with longtime head coach Bill Belichick and is starting from scratch with rookie quarterback Drake Maye leading the way, which might not appeal to Aiyuk, especially with interest from the Steelers and Browns.
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