With San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk formally requesting a trade from the defending NFC champions, here are my top five potential landing spots for the talented and explosive playmaker.
1.) Cleveland Browns: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. With the Browns currently dealing with a disgruntled WR of their own in Amari Cooper, who has yet to sign a contract extension, a Cooper-Aiyuk is a win-win for both parties.
2.) New England Patriots: A team desperate for a true WR1. You have a rookie head coach and QB in Jerod Mayo and Drake Maye and the Pats desperately need a reliable and explosive target for their new franchise QB.
3.) Los Angeles Chargers: Don’t look now, but the Chargers could be a sleeper and lowkey sneaky team laying low in the Aiyuk sweepstakes.
New head coach, lack of an explosive playmaker, Keenan Allen now in Chicago and you have two big contracts you need to unload in DE Joey Bosa and LB Khalil Mack. Go Chargers Go!
4.) Washington Commanders: Another sleeper pick to watch for in landing Aiyuk. They have a potential home run under center in Jayden Daniels at QB, and talent on the outside in WR’s Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Jamison Crowder. Can you imagine a 1-2 McLaurin-Aiyuk punch? Yikes!
5.) Pittsburgh Steelers: Last but certainly not least is the Black and Gold, who lack that one dynamic weapon to complement WR George Pickens.
Whomever is under center in Pittsburgh, gets a gift at WR is Aiyuk somehow lands in the Steel City.