Brandon Aiyuk Unfollows 49ers On Social Media As Rumors Swirl He Wants Out

Getty Image / Perry Knotts

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a breakout year in 2023, establishing himself as one of the league’s best wide receivers. Now, he wants to be paid like one.

The soon-to-be fifth-year player will play under his rookie option next year, the standard for first-round picks. But, he’s not enthused about playing for $4 million and change next year.

Amid rumors that Brandon Aiyuk wants to be traded due to a lack of an extension, he unfollowed the San Francisco 49ers on Instagram Friday.

Who knows how much that really means, but it does give a glimpse into how Aiyuk is feeling. And, with the NFL Draft less than two weeks away, it seems the time for a trade to happen would be in the next few weeks when San Francisco could land draft capital.

If he were to be traded, it would be a huge blow to the San Francisco 49ers offense. Yes, that offense has a ton of star pieces to get the ball to. But, Brandon Aiyuk is the only true star wide receiver of the group that can run the whole route tree. Deebo Samuel is good, but he’s not nearly as skilled as a wide receiver as Aiyuk.  His 1,342 yards would be hard to replace.

A few teams make a lot of sense for Brandon Aiyuk. The Carolina Panthers need to add weapons for second-year quarterback Bryce Young. But, they don’t have a lot of draft capital, having given up the pick that will be the first-overall pick this year for the rights to Bryce Young last year. Would their second-round pick be enough?

The New York Giants also need a lot of help at wide receiver. If they plan to take a quarterback with the 6th pick, it would be paramount to get that quarterback a good wide receiver.

Still, I’m sure the 49ers would prefer to keep Brandon Aiyuk. Philadelphia Eagles receiver AJ Brown is in the midst of a 4-year, $100 million extension. That seems like it would be in the ballpark for Aiyuk.