Sad news: 49ers lose out on their target to sign NFL Draft WR
The San Francisco 49ers did not complete the highly anticipated draft day deal that included Brandon Aiyuk and the huge return they were hoping for, according to a new report.
There was a lot of conjecture leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft that the 49ers may trade Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. The latter is requesting a significant pay raise when his rookie deal ends after this season, while the former was given a sizable extension last year. The team is unable to pay for both, and for weeks there have been whispers of a deal.
The debate only grew more heated on Day 2 of the competition after San Francisco selected Florida standout Ricky Pearsall with their first-round pick in order to replace either receiver. But even though there were rumors of calls from the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders, Day 2 came and went without a deal ever happening.
It appears that the San Francisco 49ers were hoping for a big return in exchange for Aiyuk, and it doesn’t seem like any team was able to match their offer.
The San Francisco 49ers were hoping to trade for Brandon Aiyuk for a top-10 pick.
As far back as March 2023, teams have asked about Aiyuk’s availability, according to ESPN 49ers writer Nick Wagoner. The Niners turned down those advances back then, and if they had received an offer they couldn’t turn down, they would have thought about dealing him this year.
“No trade materialized and all eyes turned to Samuel when it became clear that the 49ers weren’t open to any deal involving Aiyuk that didn’t put them in position to pick one of the top three receivers in the draft—Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze, who were picked at Nos. 4, 6, and 9, respectively.”
Aiyuk allegedly texted 49ers general manager John Lynch to express his gratitude for Pearsall’s draft selection, which some interpret as an indication that negotiations for a contract extension between the player and the team may be moving forward. If a move is made this offseason, Deebo Samuel appears to be the odd man out, according to this additional indication.
READ MORE:
Tom Brady is urged by a former Patriots player to join the 49ers
Talk about the famous quarterback Tom Brady potentially returning before or during the 2024 NFL season doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
Former New England Patriots tight end and current WEEI broadcaster Jermaine Wiggins pushed for the San Francisco 49ers to call Brady during a Tuesday appearance on sports radio station 95.7 The Game, as reported by Kyle Madson of Niners Wire/USA Today.
“If I were in San Francisco, I would be calling Tom once more and asking, ‘What can we do to bring you here?’ For what reason will the 49ers window be open for so long? stated Wiggins.
There’s a lot to go through in this.
Undoubtedly, head coach Kyle Shanahan of San Francisco wanted Brady to join the team months before the 2023 season, while starter quarterback Brock Purdy of the 49ers was still healing from a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Before Purdy was a finalist for the regular-season Most Valuable Player Award and before he returned to action for Week 1 of the previous campaign, such a scheme was conceived.
Purdy led the 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII, where he was unsuccessful in overtime, although he did complete 23 of 38 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s possible that the greatest NFL winner in history may provide the 49ers with more on the biggest stage of the game. In addition, Brady hinted that, at 47, he would play for a contender later in the upcoming season during a podcast interview last month.
According to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, Purdy is probably going to play just one more season on his cheap rookie contract (he was selected in the seventh round) before signing a big extension. Therefore, if Brady is serious about winning an eighth Super Bowl ring in his career, the 49ers could conceivably afford to sign him to a one-year contract:
Since the future Hall of Famer hasn’t played a significant snap since he retired “for good” in February 2023, it is impossible to determine if Brady would be a better option than Purdy.
Brady recently had “a preseason getaway” with some of his new Fox teammates, according to reports from the New York Post and other outlets. Brady is expected to take over as Fox’s primary NFL commentator later this year.
Brady’s chances of ever playing in the NFL again look slim when you consider that he is still trying to acquire a small ownership position in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Brady only needed to make one decisive statement to put an end to any speculation about a potential return. He keeps saying no, maybe because he believes a championship-caliber team like the 49ers will require an emergency quarterback between now and February 2025’s second Sunday.
