NFL Rumors: 49ers 'Nosing Around' for Possible 3rd Team in Brandon Aiyuk Trade

The San Francisco 49ers may be getting fairly creative in an effort to trade star wideout Brandon Aiyuk, including the involvement of a third team in trade talks.

"I have no doubt in my mind that the 49ers have had those conversations," Mike Garafolo of NFL Network told Rich Eisen on Thursday when asked about the possibility of a three-team trade (3:10 mark). "I have been told that. They're nosing around the league. The problem is nobody's really got an excess of receivers that can give you that caliber of guy you're looking for."

Garafolo added that the Niners circled back with Aiyuk to see if they could work out a deal to keep him in the Bay Area and were essentially told the relationship had been severed beyond repair.

The New England Patriots were willing to make Aiyuk one of the five highest-paid wideouts in the NFL in an extension, according to Mike Reiss and Nick Wagoner of ESPN, but Aiyuk has reportedly "balked so far at multiple offers" involving teams willing to trade for him and give him an extension.

Garafolo noted that New England's offer would have been for an average of $32 million per season, a deal he believes will be the most Aiyuk gets from any team. Such an average annual salary would have tied him with Philadelphia's A.J. Brown for the second-highest in football among wideouts.

Turning down that deal suggests that perhaps Aiyuk isn't only seeking the most possible money in a new destination, however.

New England wouldn't necessarily be a great situation for an established wideout, given that the team will be transitioning at some point to a rookie quarterback in Drake Maye and relying on Jacoby Brissett in the interim.

The Aiyuk situation is particularly tricky because both the Niners and the receiver have to be happy to facilitate a move. If Aiyuk isn't willing to sign an extension with a new team, that team isn't going to give up the sort of assets the Niners want in return. But it's all a moot point if San Francisco isn't happy with the trade package.

To this point, it sounds as though neither side has been sufficiently satisfied—the 49ers wanting more from a trade package, and Aiyuk wanting more money and/or a better landing spot. Perhaps a third team could resolve that issue.