One of the unresolved issues of the NFL offseason took another turn on Tuesday when receiver Brandon Iuk, unhappy with the lack of a contract extension, requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s rare to find a player as good as Ayyuk, if he actually is. Ayuk had 75 catches for 1,342 yards on 49 runs last season. Justin Jefferson recently signed a contract worth $35 million per season, and while Ayuk is unlikely to match that, his extension could be huge.
If IUK moves, it’s a rare season-changing transaction in mid-to-late July. Here are the most likely landing spots for Ayuk:
San Francisco 49ers
There is a reason that Ayuk is not traded during the season. The 49ers are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl after losing in overtime last season. Ayuk is one of their best players. As much as Ayuk wanted and earned a new contract, he didn’t have that much leverage either. It seems more likely that the 49ers will play hardball with Ayuck, who is set to make more than $14.1 million through the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, and force him to play for them this season. Iuk won’t be happy, but his motivation will be to have a big season and hit free agency (or get the franchise tag, which could lead to another round of controversy).
The 49ers are a better team with Ayuck. As they chase a Super Bowl, the draft picks they could acquire in trade won’t help this season. Just because Ayuk requested a trade doesn’t mean it will happen. Presumably, San Francisco will do everything it can to work with Ayuck for one more season, and hopefully his unhappiness in a special season isn’t a distraction.
The relations between the Ayuks and the generals have lasted through all the seasons. He is friends with Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels from their days together at Arizona State. According to OverTheCap.com, the Commanders have the second-most salary-cap space in the NFL at just over $37 million. The Commanders’ draft picks next season could be very valuable — second overall in April — and a rebuilding team could hold off on giving up a lot of picks and a big contract to IUK. But if the 49ers move Ayuck, the Generals seem like a more natural fit. It must be fascinating to think about Daniels and Iuk growing up together.
The Steelers have a significant need at receiver after trading Deonte Johnson. It’s basically George Pickens and nothing else.
The team’s quarterback situation remains unresolved for a long time, but if IUK is on the roster, it could be very attractive for any quarterback going forward. The Steelers have traded high picks for proven players before. Iuk guessed it himself The Steelers would be the landing spot if he were traded. Pittsburgh is among the league leaders in cap space through 2025 and 2026, so a big long-term extension wouldn’t be too difficult for the Steelers to handle.
The Patriots pursued Calvin Ridley, but Ridley decided to sign with the Tennessee Titans. The Patriots didn’t receive any big prizes at receiver in free agency. They have the most effective cap space in the NFL at $43.8 million according to OverTheCap.com. New England’s problem is similar to the Commanders, in that their draft picks in 2025 are premature and they have too many roster holes to spend much draft capital. However, they need talent around new quarterback Drake May and finding a true No. 1 receiver will be difficult. Aiyuk is just 26 years old and would be a good asset to a New England offense that needs a lot of playmakers.
Can get crazy. The Lions are chasing a Super Bowl in the next season or two. Why not add a receiver that goes well with Amon-Ra St. Brown? The problem is the cap. While the Lions are in good cap shape right now ($34.6 million in cap space), they signed St. Brown, quarterback Jared Goff and offensive tackle Benny Sewell to big deals this offseason. It’s hard to figure out how they can fit Ayuk under the cap in the long run. But this is the funnest matchup on any other team. Detroit St. Brown has some questions at receiver beyond, and IUK is a compelling answer. He will probably make the Lions a Super Bowl favorite. This seems unlikely to happen, but one can dream.
