Brandon Aiyuk trade deadline set as San Francisco 49ers face $22.85M payout

Brandon Aiyuk is not expected to be healthy in time for the start of the 2025 NFL season, but he is in line to land a huge bonus in the coming days unless the San Francisco 49ers can find a trade partner.

The star wide receiver saw his 2024 campaign curtailed by ruptured anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee in Week 7 and is not expected to return to action until midway through next season.

The 27-year-old signed a four-year, $120 million contract before sustaining his injury last season, and as part of the deal, he is entitled to a $22.85 million bonus if he is on the roster on Tuesday.

That is a steep price to pay, considering the uncertainty surrounding the former first-round pick's future.

Such a serious injury prompts concern that Aiyuk will not be the same force when he returns to the field, and with the Niners in something of a rebuilding phase after finishing bottom of the NFC West with a 6-11 record, the prospect of getting Aiyuk's salary off the books is surely worth of consideration for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.

The team has already moved on from one star receiver this offseason, sending Deebo Samuel and his $17.55 million 2025 salary to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

However, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, no trade deals are close to materializing for Aiyuk, who was close to being shipped to the Pittsburgh Steelers on the eve of last season before deciding to accept the 49ers' offer of an extension.

Once the effective trade deadline passes, the 49ers will not contemplate trading Aiyuk due to being required to commit such significant funds to his bonus.

And if the bonus is triggered, the minimal draft compensation that would be offered for a wideout coming off such a severe knee injury is unlikely to be appealing to the Niners.

The Arizona State alum has 294 receptions for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns in five seasons in San Francisco.

Aiyuk's best season came in 2023 when he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven scores, playing a pivotal role in his team's run to the Super Bowl, where they were beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Aiyuk had 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games last season before suffering his season-ending injury, coincidentally in a rematch against the Chiefs.

The Niners' receiving corps has been an area of strength in recent years, but the team is likely to reinforce its options in next month's NFL Draft, with Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings the leading options behind the injured Aiyuk..

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