San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch recently shed some light on the trade rumors of their wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Throughout his tenure with the 49ers, Aiyuk showcased an incredible performance in the offense by recording 194 receptions for 2,589 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns as well as two touchdowns on the ground.
The 25-year-old enjoyed his best regular season last year with the franchise for 13-4, recording a career-high 78 receptions for 1015 receiving yards as well as eight touchdowns.
Aiyuk kidding me?! 🤯#ProBowlVote @THE2ERA
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📱 NFL+ // https://t.co/d2FDeaE8pp pic.twitter.com/QNPqo4spjm— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 11, 2022
What did the 49ers’ GM say about the trade rumor of Brandon Aiyuk?
The 49ers GM John Lynch opened up to the reporters ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft later this week and responded positively when asked about the trade of their young receiver Brandon Aiyuk, albeit he didn’t want to speculate on the possible moves regarding Brandon.
“I’m not going to get into specifics on people. We love Brandon Ayuk and excited about Brandon being a part of this team, so I’ll just leave it at that”, he stated.
The 49ers already have highly-paid WR Deebo Samuel, hence, the next question involved how so many players are under contract for next season.
“You can’t keep everyone, we’re trying to do something special this year and Brandon is going to be a big part of that and beyond as well”, he added.
#49ers GM John Lynch was asked about WR Brandon Aiyuk's future and how it could become difficult to keep him for the long-term from a cap standpoint.
Here's the full exchange:pic.twitter.com/NSU3bEikmQ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 24, 2023
Lynch later addressed the possibility of keeping the former ASU WR with the team.
“And so yes, you always have to think out a few years, but we’re really excited about Brandon. I feel like he made another big step last year, and I think the best is yet to come and so we want him being a part of it and at some point, yeah, you have to figure things out and I guess we’ll take that as it comes, but as of right now and into the future, we’re really excited about Brandon Aiyuk and where he is at as a pro. The work he’s done to develop as a pro and become one of our core players here”, the GM further stated.
The former No. 25 overall draft pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and had been rumored to get involved in the trade as the 49ers signed Samuel to a long-term contract as well as they already have the 25-year-old Nick Bosa in the last of his rookie contract, albeit the rumor seems not becoming true as perceived from the Gm’s statement.
As the 49ers continue their preparations for the upcoming season, it remains to be seen how Brandon will be utilized, however, Lynch’s comments suggest that the team is committed to maximizing his potential and providing him with opportunities to shine on the field.