Patriots
“I was told flat-out that if this was about the money, in just about every way, New England won.”
Brandon Aiyuk is sticking around with the San Francisco 49ers after all, with the star wideout ending his months-long contract dispute and trade drama with the Niners by signing a four-year, $120 million extension with the team last week.
But it’s not for a lack of trying on the Patriots’ part when it came to their efforts to try and land the star receiver last month.
The Patriots were considered one of the finalists in a potential blockbuster deal involving Aiyuk when the Niners were reportedly set on moving him.
But just a day after it was reported that both the Patriots and Browns had agreed to the “framework” of trades with the 49ers for Aiyuk, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Aug. 6 that “the Patriots have decided not to explore any further trade possibilities with the 49ers” regarding Aiyuk.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco later added that Aiyuk “did not show interest” in joining the Patriots, effectively scuttling any hope of New England adding a top pass-catcher to its roster.
But as for the rest of New England’s efforts to try and add Aiyuk, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted on NBC Sports Boston’s “Sports Sunday” program that the Patriots put their best foot forward with a strong trade package and hefty contract offer.
“If a deal had gotten done, it would have been for a 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick and Kendrick Bourne,” Breer said of the offer, adding: “I was told that of the teams that were in this, [the Patriots] had the strongest monetary offers in just about every way,. “They offered him a three-year deal at $90 million. They offered him a four-year deal that averaged $32.4 million per year.
“So, they offered him the shorter deal, which players usually prefer, at a little bit less money, but that was still at $30 (million), which is what he got on a four-year deal in San Francisco.”
While Breer did not have specifics about just how much guaranteed money was on the table with the Patriots’ offer, he stressed that New England did put forward the best deal among Aiyuk’s various suitors.
“Generally the first three years of these deals are either guaranteed or virtually guaranteed,” Breer added. “I was told flat-out that if this was about the money, in just about every way, New England won.”
With the Patriots likely staring at a multi-year rebuild moving forward, it shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise that Aiyuk ultimately decided to re-up with a Niners team that played in Super Bowl LVIII just seven months ago — especially with San Francisco ultimately handing him $120 million as part of his reworked deal.
Boston.com Today
Sign up to receive the latest headlines in your inbox each morning.