Will the 49ers have to take drastic measures to ease their current and future financial burden?
ESPN's Adam Schefter believes that could be the case.
Schefter appeared on Tuesday's episode of "The Pat McAfee Show," where he discussed the latest trade rumors surrounding 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and why San Francisco trading its star receiver after recently trading Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders is not out of the question.
"I think the 49ers, in their particular financial situation, are open to listening on just about anybody," Schefter said. "So if there's a team out there that is willing to take on the Brandon Aiyuk contract with him coming off the torn ACL, I'm sure they would listen. Absolutely.
"But again, you would have to find a team willing to take on the player, with the injury, with the contract. That's not a simple thing to do. Look, if there's no knee injury then it's a simple deal. But because there's a knee injury, because he may miss the first half of next season, and there are questions about when he'll get back next year, there are a whole host of pending issues."
Will there be a team that is willing to take on Aiyuk's uncertain situation? That remains to be seen, however, Schefter believes San Francisco needs to be open to significant cost-cutting moves in order to address the team's glaring roster needs this offseason.
"But the Niners -- again, for them to play in the free-agency sand box -- they're going to have to find ways to clear out salary," Schefter added. "Whether that's through Brandon Aiyuk or Jordan Mason or any other player who they don't bring back or let go. The have to find ways to get money to help field the kind of roster that they want. So if an offer comes in on Brandon Aiyuk and there's a team out there that's willing to take on that particular situation, I'm sure they would be open to listening to it."
San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the 49ers' Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season, and as Schefter points out, likely will miss some time to begin the 2025 season.
Either with the 49ers or with another team.
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