Patriots’ offer for Brandon Aiyuk revealed after latest trade rumors

With the Patriots set to return veterans to Foxboro for the start of training camp, rumors surrounding Brandon Aiyuk continue to flood the news cycle in New England. The team has been linked to the disgruntled receiver throughout the offseason, with the latest report from Josina Anderson revealing that Eliot Wolf had been in contact with the 49ers just a few weeks ago regarding a trade.

With contract negotiations still stalled in San Francisco, Aiyuk formally requested a trade again last week. While the Niners insist they have no desire to trade their star receiver, their efforts to retain him beyond the 2024 season don’t appear to be working.

That puts the Patriots back in the top tier of teams likely to convince the 49ers to trade them before the start of the regular season. The new regime made it clear from the beginning that it wanted to “weaponize the offense,” and it tried to do so in the draft.

They selected offensive players with seven of their eight picks, alternating between offensive line and receiver. But that’s apparently not where their efforts started or stopped.

The latest report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reveals the Patriots’ offer to the 49ers in the draft earlier this year.

Florio says Wolf offered Aiyuk a 2024 second-round pick and was willing to pay him whatever he wanted, which was about $28 million at the time. That has since changed, but it’s a major step forward in the Patriots’ effort to get their offense into top gear for the upcoming season.

“At the time, the magic number was around $28 million a year. That’s likely changed, given the Vikings’ landmark deal with receiver Justin Jefferson.

Regardless, five teams, we’re told, were willing to pay Aiyuk whatever he wanted before the draft. If they could have also reached acceptable trade terms with the 49ers, he would have been traded.

That game didn’t happen. It’s unclear what the 49ers wanted at the time. They rejected an offer of a second-round pick from the Patriots. Other teams interested were, and may still be, the Steelers and Commanders.

Given that many fans and journalists have given up hope that the Patriots will acquire a game-changing WR1 before the season begins, this report proves that while their efforts have gone unnoticed so far, they have been active in trying to achieve that goal.

It could also mean that they are still interested in Aiyuk despite the 49ers’ continued refusal to consider any offer. It seems inevitable that this won’t end well for the team, as they’ve had plenty of time to try to accommodate Aiyuk with an extension, and that’s good news for the Patriots if they’re serious about trading him.

However, if no deal gets done this year, whether due to San Francisco’s lack of interest in parting with Aiyuk or the Patriots losing out on a trade, Wolf’s work in securing a top receiver should be noted.

It shows his determination to weaponize the offense in the way he so aptly put it, and it could really work to their advantage next offseason when they’ll be even more loaded in terms of salary space.

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