49ers $120 million star surprisingly getting trade interest: insider

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The San Francisco 49ers had a lost season in 2024.

San Francisco widely was considered to be among the top teams in the NFC heading into the campaign. The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl the year prior but missed the playoffs in 2024 thanks in large part to injuries.

The 49ers were never at full strength. That led to the team finishing in last place in the NFC West with a 6-11 record. Now, the 49ers are at a crossroads. There are going to be players who will end up playing elsewhere after this offseason. Deebo Samuel has been discussed a lot, but The Athletic’s Diana Russini shared that teams have shown some level of interest in fellow receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the “Scoop City” podcast.

“Brandon Aiyuk is a player who teams had a lot of interest in before he signed that deal last year,” Russini said “…There are some teams poking around now to see if the 49ers would be willing to deal Brandon Aiyuk.”

Aiyuk was in trade rumors all offseason last year. There was chatter into training camp and he was heavily tied to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Obviously, he ended up staying and signed a four-year, $120 million deal.

The 2024 season was a lost year for him individually as he played just seven games. Could the 49ers decide to make him available this offseason? Russini didn’t share that any move is close and just said teams have been “poking around.” The most likely option is that Aiyuk will be with the team in 2025, but this is interesting at least.

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Patrick McAvoy’s experiences include local and national sportswriting across baseball, football and basketball. He has provided coverage for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Celtics throughout his career. Outside of journalism, Patrick also has received a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Brandeis University and studied communication and business at Merrimack College where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree.