ESPN reporter: 49ers can’t justify trading Brandon Aiyuk

ESPN reporter Kimberley A. Martin has expressed strong reservations about the San Francisco 49ers' consideration of trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The Niners are in ongoing talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers and possibly the Cleveland Browns. Although conflicting reports on the progress of these discussions exist, it appears increasingly possible that Aiyuk could soon have a new NFL home.

Martin believes that trading Aiyuk would be a significant mistake.

She points out that the 49ers initially held all the leverage in negotiations, with the ability to present Aiyuk's camp with a "take it or leave it" offer. Aiyuk is under contract for 2024, and the 49ers could use the franchise tag to retain his rights for the following two years. San Francisco seemingly took this approach earlier in the offseason, reportedly offering Aiyuk a deal worth $26 million annually. The team has not budged since.

However, this week has shown that Aiyuk is not without power. After requesting a trade, he reported to training camp but refused to practice. Tensions have risen, and the 49ers now seem ready to do something they insisted they would never do all offseason—trade their star wideout.

"When you look at the San Francisco 49ers, this whole scenario looks different if they had won the Super Bowl," Martin said on ESPN's Get Up, "because now you're in a situation where they won the Super Bowl. You [can] say, 'Okay, Brandon Aiyuk wants to get paid. Okay, we did what we had to do. Go get your money elsewhere.'"

The 49ers came close to winning the Super Bowl but fell short for the second time under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

"You can't really justify dismantling a roster that looks championship-ready when you haven't won a championship," Martin continued. "What do you tell your fanbase?"

Martin also notes that tackle Trent Williams is unhappy and seeking a restructured deal, and the 49ers are preparing for next year when they must make quarterback Brock Purdy one of the highest-paid players in NFL history.

She suggests a better option for the 49ers would be to tell Aiyuk, "Let's get something done just for this year, and then we'll figure out the rest later."