Pats' Mayo on Brandon Aiyuk Trade Rumors: 'I Don't Talk About Players on Other Teams'

While rumors are swirling that the New England Patriots are interested in trading for disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, head coach Jerod Mayo isn't feeding into them.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Mayo addressed the trade rumors by telling reporters, "I know what all you guys want to know. One thing I learned from Bill [Belichick]: I don't talk about players on other teams."

Aiyuk had been seeking a contract extension from the 49ers and chose not to participate in training camp while waiting for his new deal. On Tuesday, ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that San Francisco is now open to trading the rising star receiver and even permitted him to negotiate a contract with other teams, which is a shift in the franchise's stance from earlier in the offseason when it refused to listen to trade offers.

Reiss named the Patriots and Cleveland Browns as teams interested in acquiring Aiyuk, and pointed out that the Patriots "have been attempting to acquire Aiyuk for months, and it has been a slow process from their side." New England's pursuit of the 26-year-old reportedly dates back to February.

Aiyuk earned second-team All-Pro honors last season after posting 75 catches for a career-high 1,342 yards with seven touchdowns. He's set to make $14.1 million this year on the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, and he has made it clear he believes he deserves much more.

While Mayo didn't address the rumors surrounding Aiyuk directly, he acknowledged that he had a conversation with Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who was named as a potential trade piece in a deal for Aiyuk.

"It was a good conversation. Once again, I feel like the story is so much further along than anything else," Mayo said, per Reiss. "I just wanted to make sure we cleared the air. I do believe in being transparent with the players and really setting those guys at ease."

Adding Aiyuk would be a major boost for a New England offense that lacks star power, but the franchise has more work to do as it continues to rebuild in the post-Belichick era.