Cut Him or Trade Him? Rich Weighs In on the 49ers’ Options with WR Brandon Aiyuk

With the trade deadline approaching next Tuesday, Rich was surprised the market had been so quiet. Then a new name hit it. Brandon Aiyuk, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus, will report to the 49ers on Friday afternoon, "healthy and ready to get back on the field."

Rich expected more action by now. It was just after noon on Wednesday, and no trade had popped. Any team in playoff position, at or around .500, or with Super Bowl aspirations could "turbocharge an effort with a big-time acquisition," he said on The Rich Eisen Show, especially after seeing what the Bears looked like in their first game with Jeffery Simmons. "You want to continue an arms race here."

For teams that need a receiver, Aiyuk is now a name to do some homework on and "kick a tire or two." Once he reports, the 49ers have three options: keep him under his contract, release him, or trade him. And Kyle Shanahan has already said Aiyuk is not an option for this team.

Rich found that striking given San Francisco's history. "They once took a playbook away from a quarterback and then gave it back to him," he said, recalling Jimmy Garoppolo, whom they then started. For the Niners to essentially close the book now means it's trade him or cut him. And Rich sees the obvious problem with a trade. "Any team that's out there knows the Niners aren't going to keep him. So they're just going to wait until they cut him," unless San Francisco is willing to take a six or a seven.

Rich was also skeptical of the timing. Rosenhaus is framing it as Aiyuk now being healthy, but "otherwise I would think he would have shown up to the Niners way before this," Rich said. That includes before the team voided the guarantees on his $27 million a year contract because he wasn't showing up for offseason workouts or the rehab the 49ers wanted to monitor. Instead, Rich noted, Aiyuk was making videos and alienating the Commanders as a potential trade partner. "He's just weird, which is why you've got to think about it before you hire him."

The talent, though, is not in question. The last time Aiyuk was fully healthy, in 2023, before he blew out his knee, he had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns and was second team All-Pro. "Three years ago," Rich said.

So who needs a receiver? "Pretty much anybody," Rich said, starting with Kansas City. It was pointed out on set that San Francisco obviously isn't trading him to the Rams, even though they're in the receiver market. Someone raised the cap hit of cutting him, but Rich wasn't sure that applies. "I'm not a capologist, but they voided everything," he said. "He can't get that money back just cause he's showing up now. Which is why I don't understand why he didn't show up before."

Pittsburgh came up, a team Aiyuk was rumored to be headed to back when he and the Niners were at a contractual impasse. Rich also floated New England, with the Patriots waiting on A.J. Brown to get healthy and Romeo Doubs on IR. The pushback: the Patriots already made their receiver move, Mack Hollins is returning to practice, and they'd be better off getting line help. Denver, someone noted, is "kind of in on everybody."

The whole thing still struck the table as odd. Aiyuk is just going to show up at the 49ers facility on Friday? "Hello," came the reaction. Rich's bottom line: if Aiyuk is going to be free, "I can't imagine there's going to be a trade here. But just keep an eye on all this stuff."