The drama between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is now over. Aiyuk and the 49ers recently reached an agreement on a 4-year, $120M deal, making him one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. Aiyuk re-signing with the 49ers wasn’t always a guarantee, as the talented wideout requested a trade during contract negotiations. At times, Aiyuk’s chances of re-signing seemed slim, and the 49ers were forced to explore other options.
One of the options the 49ers explored was a trade with the Denver Broncos. According to a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the 49ers proposed a trade that would have sent a third-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for wide receiver Courtland Sutton. If the trade had gone through, the 49ers would have traded Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 49ers only were willing to trade Brandon Aiyuk if they could get a top-flight WR to replace him. They offered a third-round pick to Denver for Courtland Sutton, and then would’ve dealt Aiyuk to the Steelers, but the Broncos declined the offer.
So, he stays in SF.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 29, 2024
Denver declined this trade.
Now, Sutton will enter his seventh season with the Broncos.
Trade rumors involving Courtland Sutton are nothing new
The big-bodied wide receiver out of SMU has frequently been involved in trade rumors for the majority of his career. Sutton has had little to no quarterback stability, yet has managed to churn out some solid seasons stat-wise. In 2023, he hauled in a career-high 10 touchdowns. During the offseason, both Sutton and the Broncos agreed to terms on a restructured deal that added additional incentives.
With the Broncos’ 2023 season being quite the rollercoaster, Sutton’s name, as well as Jerry Jeudy’s, was thrown around in trade rumors when the Broncos were at their lowest. Ultimately, the Broncos would decide to part ways with Jeudy, sending him to the Cleveland Browns for a 2024 fifth and sixth-round pick.
Considering what the Broncos got for Jeudy, a third-round pick seemed like a solid return for Sutton.
During mandatory roster cuts, the Broncos shockingly decided to part ways with wide receiver Tim Patrick. Had the Broncos accepted the 49ers trade offer, perhaps they would have held on to Patrick. However, with Patrick missing the prior two seasons due to injury, the Broncos felt like it was time to move on.
With both Patrick and Jeudy gone, it seems like for the time being the Broncos are committed to retaining Sutton. He’ll now be a veteran leader in a young Broncos wideout room that includes Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and DeVaughn Vele. The veteran receiver’s experience will also prove to be very helpful with rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
