The San Francisco 49ers have made it clear: they are eager to move on from wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. They would love to trade him if the right opportunity—or any opportunity, really—presents itself.

"We're available. Give us a call," general manager John Lynch pleaded during a press conference following the 2026 NFL Draft.


So far, however, no team has taken that step. Around the league, the hesitation is understandable. Many expect the 49ers to ultimately release Aiyuk, allowing teams to sign him without surrendering draft capital—which would now likely come in 2027. On top of that, any acquiring team would likely have to absorb his current contract—another significant obstacle.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the situation is even more complicated than it appears.

"Well, we know he's not going to be back in San Francisco," Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. "We know that the team is ready to move on from him. And they've advertised, including this weekend, at every turn, that they would trade him for whatever they could get back for him."

Schefter added that the lack of communication with Aiyuk is a major factor stalling potential deals.

"And I think the reason that a team's not trading for him right now is they don't want to assume the current contract that he has," Schefter continued. "And so, it's a situation where he hasn't been in clear, constant communication with the Niners. They've had a hard time getting a hold of him."


That communication gap may extend beyond San Francisco. Teams interested in acquiring Aiyuk would likely want to discuss a restructured deal before making a move—something that appears difficult under the current circumstances.

"Other teams, I think, have attempted to reach out," Schefter said. "They've had a hard time getting a hold of him. So, it's a situation where the 49ers feel like, yeah, Brandon Aiyuk, I'm sure, would love to be released so he can go rejoin his college teammate [QB] Jayden Daniels in Washington. That's a prevailing thought out there.

"But the Niners are like, you know what? We don't really care. We've got some time between now and camp opening, and we're not just going to give him away unless we feel like we can get something back for him."

Technically, San Francisco doesn't have to make a final decision on Aiyuk until September 1, when his option bonus is due. Until then, the team can afford to remain patient as it explores possibilities, holding out hope that a wide-receiver-needy team will eventually make an offer.

"The issue is that teams don't want to trade for that contract, and they don't want to trade for that contract when they can't even discuss it with Brandon Aiyuk," Schefter concluded.

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