There is no question that social media has become detrimental when it comes to breaking news and rumors especially when it comes to sports media. In my opinion too many are in a rush to take credit for being the first one to break it to the point that it is becoming absurd.
If anyone has been following the Brandon Aiyuk rumors over the past several weeks can attest to this. From reports of the San Francisco 49ers receiver turning down a contract offer from the New England Patriots, to the Pittsburgh Steelers offering a second and fifth round pick and either Calvin Austin or George Pickens, or to the Cleveland Browns for picks and wide receiver Amari Cooper. One even had the audacity to double down on the belief that a trade was going to happen by the end of the week.
Yet what was the latest in that regard? Aiyuk met with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and contract negotiations have supposedly been restarted.
Here is the thing though. Unless general manager John Lynch gets blown away by an offer, which has yet to happen, Aiyuk is not going anywhere with or without a contract extension as the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option and he is under contract for the 2024 season.
Once again this needs to get reiterated to those who are in such a rush for first. Aiyuk has no leverage over the 49ers. Even if he was given the opportunity to research what the market was for him. Also, if the 49ers were serious about trading him he would have already been moved and most likely would have happened during the draft.
So at this point the only expectation for Aiyuk is that he is in a 49er uniform in 2024. At this point it seems to me that the rumors of him being moved have become nothing more than wishful thinking.