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DEAL VERIFIED: San Francisco 49ers Get Bumper Returns in the Trade Proposal
Brandon Aiyuk could be on the move in the offseason since he’s due for a contract extension and the San Francisco 49ers can’t keep everyone. With that said, the Niners could opt to trade him to the Houston Texans, from whom they can get some great returns.
Aiyuk’s potential departure was floated by Dan Graziano of ESPN, noting the financial limitations that the 49ers could face in trying to keep their current core group. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report then took it up a notch by coming up with a trade proposal that would send Aiyuk to the Texans for a massive haul.
In his proposal, Ballentine suggested for the Chiefs to trade Aiyuk and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Texans in exchange for a 2024 first-round pick (via the Cleveland Browns), as well as a 2024 fifth-round pick and 2025 fourth-round pick.
“The trade compensation here is based on the 2020 trade that sent Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills. When Diggs was traded, he was 26 years old and coming off his biggest year to date,” Ballentine wrote.
“Aiyuk will be in the same exact position. From the Texans’ standpoint, it’s more like the Eagles trade to get A.J. Brown. They would be getting an elite receiver to pair with Tank Dell for their young quarterback in C.J. Stroud.”
Why Should the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans Do Brandon Aiyuk Trade?
For the San Francisco 49ers, it’s all about managing their finances while still looking to be competitive in the short and long-term.
The Niners are going to have five players–Trent Williams, Arik Armstead, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner and George Kittle–who will have a cap hit of more than $20 million each in the 2024 season. With that said, cutting down their expenses is a priority.
By getting multiple picks from the Texans in a potential Brandon Aiyuk deal, they also put themselves in a good place to be stable with talent in the years to come.
As for the Houston Texans, they’ll have someone who can replace Nico Collins. The 24-year-oldwideout is due for an extension as well with just a year left in his contract. Brandon Aiyuk is obviously an upgrade over him, and he could be a game-changing weapon for CJ Stroud.
It’s unknown if the 49ers will actually trade Aiyuk or let the 2024 season play out before making a decision. Aiyuk is a special and highly impactful player and the Niners would surely want to keep him if they have a choice. With that said, it’ll be interesting to see what they do in the offseason.
