One of the biggest question marks heading into the NFL season this time was about the future of 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk. It’s no secret that the young wideout has been forcibly missing the camps for a better contract extension. But with San Francisco not budging, the situation between the two parties seemed to be in a deadlock until the latest rumors. If the news from the grapevine is true, NFL fans might be in for a massive surprise as Brandon Aiyuk could be traded for Davante Adams.
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The initial reaction upon hearing this trade deal is naturally of shock and surprise. But the more one thinks of this deal, the more sense it makes. From Aiyuk’s point of view, joining the LV Raiders makes a lot of sense as he will not only get his desired salary but wuill also get to work under a familiar face in former ASU HC Antonio Pierce.
Signing Aiyuk also makes sense for the Raiders as Pierce likewise gets a known commodity in Aiyuk, a similar on-field output like Adams and a long-term component for the project than Davante.
On the flip side, Adams, a veteran NFL star in his own right has failed to win a ring despite being part of a formidable set up with Rodgers at Green Bay. With age catching up, the 31-year-old’s priority at this point would naturally be to win immediately. Luckily for him, the 49ers also are currently in a similar boat with their emphasis on immediate success.
Safe to say, a straight swap or a trade deal makes far too sense in terms of on-field fit and objectives. But the real question lies in how feasible the deals are from a monetary perspective.
Money Behind Brandon Aiyuk & Davante Adams Deals
Davante Adams in 2022 signed a massive $140 million contract extension with the Raiders. This means that he is subject to a base salary of $36.25 million for the years 2025 and 2026. Moreover, as per reports, a team that trades him in this year will also be liable to pay $17.25 million of this year’s salary.
The San Francisco 49ers on the other hand failed to engage in negotiations with Brandon Aiyuk because of various monetary reasons. The rookie, who is set to earn just $14.124 million this year handed over a trade request yesterday because of the 49ers’ inability to pay a competitive salary. But does this mean the 49ers don’t have money? Yes and no.
The contract situation in San Francisco is such that if the accountants creatively shift a major chunk of their existing salary deals to next year, reports suggest that they will be $41 million above the projected $260 million 2025 salary cap. So the bottom line is, if the 49ers want to, they can afford Adams with a few accounting adjustments and releases.
While this might be tough for Aiyuk to see, such is the dynamic of the NFL where results matter the most. Getting Adams immediately makes a ton of sense for the 49ers. Thus awarding a $30 million+ salary extension to Aiyuk does not make sense for the 49ers as they might as well pay that to a veteran who can guarantee them immediate results. As the age-old adage goes – Winning is the only thing that matters.
