WR Brandon Aiyuk requests trade: What are the 49ers' options? - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As he awaits his long-coveted payday, San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk has tried multiple methods to coax the team into getting a deal done this offseason. Throughout that time, Aiyuk declined to ask for a trade. Until Tuesday.

As the Niners prepare to report for training camp next week, Aiyuk officially requested a trade, sources confirmed to ESPN. The sides have been discussing the parameters of a big-money extension since March but have yet to find common ground as other star wideouts around the league have cashed in and driven Aiyuk's price higher.

Aiyuk, 26, has one year remaining on his rookie contract, the fifth-year option that is set to pay him $14.124 million for this season. He is seeking an extension that would roughly double that value in the form of average annual salary.

The Niners, meanwhile, have long planned to re-sign Aiyuk with the intention of keeping him around as a franchise focal point.

If Aiyuk remains this season, the Niners would return all 11 offensive starters from a group that finished first in offensive points per game (28.4), offensive efficiency (76.02) and offensive expected points added (148.06) and second in yards per game (398.4) in 2023.

Aiyuk, of course, played a critical role in that production, leading San Francisco in receiving for the second straight year, posting a career high in receiving yards (1,342) and leading the league in yards per target (12.9) while finishing second in yards per catch (17.9).

There's no official deadline for the Niners and Aiyuk to strike a deal, but with training camp and the regular season looming, there are at least some unofficial benchmarks for something to be worked out.

Here's a look at what it all means.

Simply