Getty Antonio Pierce with Tom Telesco.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a breakout season with the San Francisco 49ers and was named Second-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press. Despite playing in a Super Bowl and having a lot of success on the field, it doesn’t seem like Aiyuk has much of a future in San Francisco.
His contract expires after the 2025 season and he could explore free agency. If the 49ers want to get ahead of things and try to get assets before losing Aiyuk for nothing, a trade could be considered this offseason. There’s been some hints that he wants to join the Las Vegas Raiders. He played at Arizona State while current Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was an assistant there.
Wide receiver isn’t a need for Las Vegas but Pierce may want to revamp the offense after a rough year. Hunter Renfrow is likely on his way out and Davante Adams is 31. Adding an ascending 25-year-old star like Aiyuk could keep the wide receiver room strong for years.
That said, it’s going to cost to trade for the wide receiver. The Raiders hold the No. 13 pick this year and that’s too high of a price to pay for Aiyuk. Next year’s first-round pick could work for both sides. If not, the Raiders could give up this year’s second-round pick and next year’s second-round pick for him.
Is Brandon Aiyuk Worth a Big Contract?
A major thing the Raiders have to consider if they trade for Brandon Aiyuk is that he’s due for a big contract. Prior to the 2023 season, Aiyuk was a solid wide receiver who had over 700 receiving yards in every season. In 2023, he blew up and had 1,342 receiving yards on just 75 catches.
If he replicates that performance in 2024, he’s going to be looking at a massive payday. The Raiders are already paying Davante Adams $28 million a year through 2026. They likely can’t afford to give another wide receiver $25+ million a season. Aiyuk grew up in Reno, Nevada, and spent a lot of time in Las Vegas. Perhaps he could consider a hometown discount but that’s unlikely.
Brandon Aiyuk 2023 Cut-Ups
I do not really understand how salary caps work, but I would do everything in my power to keep this guy in the building.
Luke Getsy Talks Davante Adams
The Raiders recently hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator and there’s likely nobody more excited about the addition than Davante Adams. Getsy worked with the coach on the Green Bay Packers from 2014 to 2017 and then again from 2019 to 2021.
Getsy gave some insight into his relationship with Adams.
“When you’re working with a guy like Davante … I walked into a room as a young receivers coach and was really able to connect to him quickly,” Getsy said during his February 16 introductory press conference.
Getsy then had massive praise for the star wide receiver.
“He’s one of the most spatial-aware people I’ve ever been around,” Getsy said, “and someone who’s able to take information and make the most of it, and that’s Tae. That ’16 season was really kind of the beginning of when he was ready to take off as a pro.”
Considering the familiarity the two have, Adams will likely be the centerpiece of the offense next season. The Raiders struggled to get him the ball consistently last season but that shouldn’t be as big of a problem with Getsy calling plays.