Since he is up for a contract extension and the San Francisco 49ers are unable to retain everyone, Brandon Aiyuk may be on the move over the summer. Having said that, the Niners may decide to deal him to the Houston Texans in order to receive a significant return.
Ballentine’s proposal was for the Chiefs to send Aiyuk and a 2024 seventh-round selection to the Texans in return for a 2024 first-round pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round pick (via the Cleveland Browns).
Ballentine based the plan on the 2020 Stefon Diggs deal. Diggs was in a similar situation as Aiyuk before to his transfer, thus it may benefit both parties. In exchange for Diggs, the Minnesota Vikings received four picks from the Buffalo Bills: a first-round selection in 2020, a fifth-round pick in 2020, a sixth-round pick in 2020, and a fourth-round pick in 2021.
The 2020 transaction that sent Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills is the basis for this trade’s compensation. Diggs was 26 years old and had just finished his best year to date when he was moved, according to Ballentine.
“Aiyuk will be positioned precisely in the same way. From the Texans’ perspective, it resembles the deal made by the Eagles to acquire A.J. Brown. They would be acquiring C.J. Stroud, their young quarterback, an excellent receiver to go along with Tank Dell.
Why Should the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans Do Brandon Aiyuk Trade?
The San Francisco 49ers’ main focus is on handling their money wisely while maintaining their desire to be competitive both now and down the road.
Five players on the Niners roster—Trent Williams, Arik Armstead, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner, and George Kittle—will have 2024 salary cap hits of at least $20 million apiece. Having said that, reducing their spending is essential.
In the event of a Brandon Aiyuk trade, they also put themselves in a strong position to have talent in the future by obtaining several selections from the Texans.
Regarding the Houston Texans, they will have a substitute for Nico Collins. With only one year remaining on his deal, the 24-year-old wideout is also due for an extension. He is clearly inferior than Brandon Aiyuk, who may be a very useful weapon for CJ Stroud.
The 49ers may decide to wait until the 2024 season is over before trading Aiyuk, but that is still up in the air. Should they had the option, the Niners would undoubtedly want to retain Aiyuk since he is a unique and extremely influential player. Having said that, it will be intriguing to watch what they do throughout the summer.
