Former WR says he knows if 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk wants a trade

Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh claimed during a Monday appearance on the 95.7 The Game "Willard and Dibs" program he knows that current wideout Brandon Aiyuk doesn't want to be traded by the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. 

"I mean, I've talked to B.A.," Houshmandzadeh explained, according to the Audacy website. "He don't want to leave San Francisco. He just wants to get paid. Just very simple. He just wants to be rewarded for the work that he's put in."

Aiyuk’s agent indicated in early April that his client hadn't yet requested a trade from the 49ers, but the 26-year-old in the final year of his rookie contract has remained away from the team during the voluntary portion of the offseason program. 

San Francisco reportedly told at least the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this spring that Aiyuk won't be made available before or during the 2024 NFL Draft that gets underway on Thursday night. However, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hinted this past weekend that Aiyuk had been granted "clearance" to see what may be available out there for him.

As for what Houshmandzadeh may or may not know, the Audacy story said that he "has worked with Aiyuk" in the past. A "Willard and Dibs" audio page refers to Houshmandzadeh as "Aiyuk's personal WR coach," and the 49ers WebZone website shows that Aiyuk has appeared on a podcast hosted by Houshmandzadeh.

Regarding what Aiyuk may want from either the 49ers or a different club, Houshmandzadeh said he believes the 2020 first-round draft pick is looking to ink a deal worth around $27M per season. Houshmandzadeh was sure to point out he hadn't heard that directly from Aiyuk. 

Meanwhile, 49ers general manager John Lynch suggested during a pre-draft news conference on Monday that Aiyuk will still be on the roster after the first round of the draft ends on Thursday night. Florio mentioned on Monday that Lynch failed to strongly deny that Aiyuk could be traded this week if the right offer came along. 

The 49ers are a win-now team that should want to keep Aiyuk, but they also have to think about giving quarterback Brock Purdy what likely will be a massive contract extension next offseason. Florio seems convinced that "Aiyuk is in play for a trade this week," but that doesn't mean Lynch will sell the receiver at a discount between now and late Thursday night.