3 Trade Chips Patriots Could Use to Seal Brandon Aiyuk Deal

On Tuesday, 2023 All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk reportedly officially requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. Aiyuk and the 49ers have been unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension as the 26-year-old enters the final year of his rookie deal.

Aiyuk, a 2020 first-round pick, has eclipsed the thousand-yard mark in each of the past two seasons. In his breakout 2023 season, He hauled in 75 passes for 1,342 yards and 7 scores, finishing seventh in the league in the middle category. Needless to say, he would immediately provide a much-needed injection of talent on the Patriot offense.

Here are three trade pieces that the Patriots could offer to San Francisco in exchange for their All-Pro wideout.

3. Marcus Jones

If the 49ers want to swap out one of their top offensive talents to upgrade their defense, Patriots corner Marcus Jones is a viable young option.

The cornerback position is one of the weaker areas of San Francisco's roster, and the 49ers are clearly in a win-now mode. San Francisco's Super Bowl LVIII was their second Super Bowl loss in the last five years, and their front office will be looking to upgrade every corner of the roster to pursue a Lombardi Trophy.

Don’t get it wrong: offloading Aiyuk will be an immediate downgrade to the roster, but addressing other areas of need should help ease his loss.

Jones even played offensive snaps during his rookie season, showing off his explosive speed by taking a screen pass 48 yards to the house. Jones was also an All-Pro as a punt returner and led the NFL in punt return yardage. He was the first player in 45 years to score an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown in the same season. For an innovative offensive mind like Kyle Shanahan, Jones could be a fascinating Swiss Army knife.

Jones missed the final 15 games of the 2023 after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, so the Niners front office would have to gamble on his 2022 play.

Jones will obviously need to be combined with another trade piece (or trade pieces), but his all-around playmaking ability makes him an under-the-radar trade chip in these negotiations.