The Brandon Aiyuk trade saga in San Francisco is still very much unresolved. With training camp just a few months away, though, the 49ers are in no rush to make a deal.
The Washington Commanders have seemingly emerged as the leading candidate to acquire the 2020 first-round pick, but neither side appears to budge in terms of pulling off a deal. That means that, theoretically, there is a much wider net of potential landing spots for the veteran wideout that extends beyond the most likely teams.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport laid out six underrated trade destinations that aren’t Washington and exclude the other NFC West rivals in the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. He named the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons as possible outside-the-box destinations for Aiyuk.
Why the Raiders could trade for Aiyuk
The Raiders have a new head coach in Klint Kubiak and first overall pick Fernando Mendoza eventually taking over at quarterback. The team also doesn’t have a clear No. 1 receiver beyond tight end Brock Bowers.
Playing for the Raiders likely wouldn’t mean many wins for Aiyuk, at least in the short-term. But given the lack of proven talent at the position in Las Vegas, assuming Aiyuk is anywhere close to 100 percent he could ostensibly become the No. 1 wideout for the Raiders in relatively short order.
And those targets (and the production that emanates from them) probably means more for rehabbing Aiyuk’s stock than winning games.
Why the Chargers could trade for Aiyuk
L.A. needs more weapons for Justin Herbert. Ladd McConkey is the only long-term weapon on the team, with Quentin Johnston likely playing for a new deal in 2026.
He could be for the Chargers what they wanted Johnston to be: the outside complement to McConkey in the slot.
And an already solid L.A. offense would be that much more formidable.
Why the Giants could trade for Aiyuk
With Malik Nabers’ availability for Week 1 uncertain after injury, the Giants’ receiver depth thins out quickly. They signed Darnell Mooney and tight end Isaiah Likely in free agency and still have Darius Slayton and Jaylin Hyatt, but none of those players are stars.
It’s not like Aiyuk would cost a lot in terms of draft capital. His arrival would alleviate some of the pressure on Nabers to rush back onto the field. And once he is back, a Nabers/Aiyuk duo could blossom into one of the better one-two punches at the wide receiver position in the NFL.
Why the Patriots could trade for Aiyuk
The Patriots were reportedly an Aiyuk suitor in 2024 during his contract negotiations and could be again if the expected A.J. Brown trade falls through. The price would likely be lower for Aiyuk than Brown, which is a more enticing situation for the Patriots.
Aiyuk isn’t as close to as proven an option as Brown. But where Brown could command a first-round pick in a trade, Aiyuk will be far less expensive in terms of draft capital. And cap space isn’t an issue in New England—the team is sitting on just over $35.5 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.
The Patriots rolled the dice on a mercurial wide receiver last year in Stefon Diggs and got a 1,000-yard season out of him.
Perhaps they could coax a similar campaign from Aiyuk.
Why the Colts could trade for Aiyuk
The Colts are in win-now mode, which means they’ll need to get risky with some moves. They don’t have a first-round pick in 2027 after the Sauce Gardner trade, so they’ll also need to be creative with adding talent for Daniel Jones. That’s where Aiyuk comes in.
If Indianapolis believes Jones will be ready to go at or near Week 1, it makes sense for the team to take a flier on Aiyuk.
Because while his layoff and the way his tenure in San Francisco ended are risks, it’s not going to take a high draft pick to get him.
Why the Falcons could trade for Aiyuk
Similar to the Giants, the Falcons don’t have a lot of depth behind their No. 1 pass-catcher in Drake London. Tight end Kyle Pitts is on the franchise tag and Bijan Robinson, while incredible, is a running back. Adding Aiyuk at a reasonable rate will help new head coach Kevin Stefanski ignite a rebuild in Atlanta.
The NFC South is arguably the most wide-open division in the league. All four teams have a legitimate chance to capture the crown if things break the right way.
Adding Aiyuk on the cheap could greatly increase the chances of that happening for the Falcons in 2026.
Whatever happens with Aiyuk will entirely depend on the 49ers’ willingness to part with a player who was, at one point, one of the better receivers in the game.That has yet to manifest.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Analyst identifies underrated trade destinations for Brandon Aiyuk
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
