Why the Patriots are reportedly out of Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes

The Patriots are reportedly out of the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes.

Just a day after it was reported that both the Patriots and Browns had agreed to the “framework” of trades with the 49ers for the star wideout, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported late Tuesday night that “the Patriots have decided not to explore any further trade possibilities with the 49ers” regarding the 26-year-old pass-catcher. 

Considering that the Patriots had reportedly agreed to a potential trade package with San Francisco, any potential snag in trade talks likely involved Aiyuk’s camp, be it his sizable new contract or a desire to play elsewhere.

The Patriots did have an agreement in place with the 49ers on an Aiyuk deal, but the star receiver “did not show interest in going” to New England, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.

To further twist the knife, Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team reported that the Patriots “were willing to offer the most money per year to Brandon Aiyuk of all the teams pursuing him. New England was believed to be offering north of $30M per season.”

But even if New England had the fiscal means to give Aiyuk one of the largest contracts ever handed out to an NFL wideout, no trade was going to reach the finish line if Aiyuk didn’t have any interest in joining a rebuilding Patriots franchise. 

Tuesday’s news stands as a brutal setback for a New England franchise that has been searching for a proven pass-catcher for years now. The Patriots have not featured a 1000-yard receiver on their roster since Julian Edelman during the 2019 season. 

Aiyuk earned second-team All-Pro honors last season, recording 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.

Aiyuk’s reported decision to rebuff the Patriots stands as just the latest instance where New England has come up just short of adding a proven No. 1 wideout to its roster.

Last July, free agent DeAndre Hopkins chose to sign with the Titans instead of the Patriots, while Tennessee swooped in and signed Calvin Ridley in March — beating out a Patriots team interested in adding a new weapon on offense. 

With Aiyuk turning down the Patriots’ offer, New England will move forward with a wide-receiver group that includes DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, and rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.

Kendrick Bourne figures to be in the equation as he works his way back from an ACL injury, while New England also has Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Kayshon Boutte on the roster.