49ers GM John Lynch said the team has discussed a possible Brandon Aiyuk trade with teams.
20 April 2026
Lynch said he doesn’t think it’s a “high probability” that Aiyuk is traded at some time during this weekend’s draft, but didn’t rule out the possibility. Whether they admit it or not, the Niners are positioned to keep Aiyuk on the roster until September 1st, when they would first be required to pay him if he is still on the roster. The split between Aiyuk and the 49ers sounds like there are people on both sides who are annoyed with the situation, but the Niners hold all of the cards after voiding the remaining guaranteed money on his deal while keeping him under contract after he reportedly stopped coming into the facility for his rehab treatments last season. If the Niners can find a team interested in dealing even a late Day 3 pick for Aiyuk, then it’s possible he will be on the move sooner than later, but it seems like they’re willing to wait as long as they can to extract whatever value he may have left before letting him go to join another team.