It seems evident that the relationship between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is beyond repair. The 28-year-old is now being listed as a trade candidate for teams throughout the NFL, and the Atlanta Falcons are the latest to be connected to him.
The Falcons clearly have their WR1 in Drake London, but after that, the situation becomes a bit unsettling, even with versatile running back Bijan Robinson occasionally filling part of that role. There is also tight end Kyle Pitts, but he still has to prove he can consistently produce after a resurgent season.
So, is Aiyuk the answer to Atlanta’s wide receiver problem?
Falcons Named Underrated Landing Spot For Brandon Aiyuk
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed the Falcons as one of the top underrated landing spots for Aiyuk, though only if Atlanta can acquire him at a bargain price.
“Whoever is under center in Atlanta has some weapons at his disposal in wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts,” Davenport wrote. “However, the trio of wide receivers behind London—Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Zachariah Branch—aren’t exactly scaring anyone. The NFC South is arguably the most wide-open division in the league. All four teams have a legitimate chance to capture the crown if things break the right way. Adding Aiyuk on the cheap could greatly increase the chances of that happening for the Falcons in 2026.”
Davenport largely based the suggestion on a trade proposal from Blogging Dirty’s Garrett Klaus.
“If Atlanta can negotiate a reworked deal with Aiyuk, minimal draft compensation (Day 3 pick territory), and incentive-based structure tied to health, then the Falcons get a 28-year-old receiver with proven WR1 traits for pennies on the dollar. And the 49ers finally get to end an embarrassing situation they clearly want out of,” Klaus wrote.
Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers in 2024. However, the team voided his guaranteed money for the 2026 season because of his lack of participation in 2025. Aiyuk was placed on the PUP list after suffering knee injuries in October the previous season and ended up playing in only seven games.
Aiyuk is set to earn a base salary of $1.2 million in 2026, but that number jumps to $27.2 million in 2027 and $29.1 million in 2028, according to Spotrac.
Falcons May Be Wise To Avoid Brandon Aiyuk Trade With 49ers
It is certainly entertaining to imagine Aiyuk joining London, Robinson and Pitts in Atlanta to form what could become one of the NFL’s more explosive offenses. However, this type of move may not align with the vision of the Falcons’ new regime.
General manager Ian Cunningham, along with head coach Kevin Stefanski and president of football Matt Ryan, appear to have a specific long-term plan for the roster moving forward. While Aiyuk’s talent would unquestionably help the offense, the way things ended in San Francisco creates concerns for any team considering a trade, not just Atlanta. Bringing him into a franchise still attempting to establish a new identity could prove more troublesome than rewarding.
There is also the financial side of the equation. Atlanta still has looming decisions involving Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts. All three could eventually command significant money in the near future.
That reality would almost certainly factor into whether the Falcons would seriously pursue Aiyuk, especially considering how much Cunningham appears to value future draft capital.
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