The de facto deadline for a Brandon Aiyuk trade came and went without so much as a whisper that a deal was imminent for the San Francisco 49ers. That deadline didn't stop Fox Sports from identifying Aiyuk as the player the 49ers could trade around the NFL draft.
General manager John Lynch opened the floodgates on a potential Aiyuk trade in the 2025 offseason when he said the club was open to trading anyone. In the midst of a roster purge and a financial reset, trading the expensive, injured wide receiver after a lackluster seven games pre-injury last season made some sense.