The Las Vegas Raiders have Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Renfrow all under contract next season so wide receiver isn’t a big need. However, the team is likely going to be starting a young quarterback next season so they could decide to surround him with as much talent as possible.
The Raiders aren’t expected to be big buyers at the position in free agency but an opportunity could arise. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is set to hit free agency and is already hinting that he’s ready to leave.
Aiyuk posted on his Instagram story, “don’t forget what got you there.”
That message was typical cryptic fare we see from athletes but what was interesting was what Aiyuk’s best friend Draysean Hudson (@drayseanhudson) posted on his Instagram story.
“This is the exact reason why we leaving San Francisco,” Hudson wrote in a February 12 Instagram story. “Thank you 49ers for drafting my brother we are forever grateful. BA to Vegas.”
Hudson is very close friends with Aiyuk and it sounds like they’re aiming to get him on the Raiders. What also makes this a situation to watch is the fact that Aiyuk has some ties to the franchise.
Brandon Aiyuk Has Ties to Antonio Pierce
This offseason the Raiders hired Antonio Pierce as head coach. Prior to joining Las Vegas in 2022, Pierce was a defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Arizona State from 2018 to 2021.
Brandon Aiyuk played for the Sun Devils in 2018 and 2019 and he’s very familiar with the coach.
“That’s my dog. I was with him and got to spend time him with at Arizona State. I was super happy for him getting that job,” Aiyuk told KTNV in a February 11 interview. “He’s well-deserving and he’s going to do great for those guys.”
It’s also worth noting that Aiyuk grew up in Reno, Nevada, and has family in Las Vegas.
“I’m excited. It feels like I’m playing at home,” Aiyuk said of playing in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. “It’s the place where I grew up. It’s a place where I fell on my face and it’s a place where I got back up. It’s a place where I met lifetime friends. It’s a place where I fell in love with playing football. It’s a place where I have a bunch of family now, still today. I’m excited that they’re getting the love that they deserve here over the past couple of weeks. It just feels like a journey is coming full-circle.”
There’s clearly a lot of appeal for Aiyuk to come play for the Raiders but it remains to be seen how much mutual interest there will be.
Can Las Vegas Raiders Add Brandon Aiyuk?
Davante Adams has a $25.3 million salary cap hit next season and Jakobi Meyers has another $13.6 million as does Hunter Renfrow. Renfrow is likely going to get cut this offseason but the team will still have a lot of money dedicated to wide receivers.
Brandon Aiyuk is coming off a career year where he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and was named Second-Team All-Pro. He’s going to be worth a lot of money. The Raiders have cap space but spending on another wide receiver seems unlikely. Unless Aiyuk is willing to take a discount to play with Antonio Pierce and come back to Las Vegas, it’s hard to see him being on the Raiders next season.
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