NFL Rumors: 49ers Eyed Sutton in Broncos Trade, Aiyuk to Steelers Before WR Contract

The San Francisco 49ers might never have extended wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had the team been able to arrange a trade for Denver Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

The 49ers offered a third-round pick in exchange for Sutton prior to signing Aiyuk, Russini reported.

Had the Broncos accepted, the Niners would have traded Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Russini.

The 49ers agreed to four-year, $120 million extension for Aiyuk after he missed training camp and the preseason amid a hold-in for a new deal, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday.

Aiyuk led all 49ers receivers with 1,342 yards on 105 targets last season. The team would have needed to replace him as a top target for quarterback Brock Purdy were they to move on.

Sutton similarly led the Broncos in receiving yards with 772 last season as an option for Russell Wilson. In San Francisco, however, that total would have ranked him fourth behind Aiyuk, All-Pro tight end George Kittle and receiver Deebo Samuel.

Having not topped 1,000 receiving yards since tearing his ACL in 2020, Sutton would likely not have been as productive an option as Aiyuk.

His salary, however, might have helped the 49ers navigate the cap crunch coming up when Purdy becomes extension-eligible following this season. Sutton is signed on for two more seasons, with a cap hit of $17.3 million for 2024, per Spotrac.

Instead the 49ers took on Aiyuk's deal, which at $30 million is tied for the fifth-highest average annual wide receiver salary in the NFL. The breakdown of Aiyuk's contract is not yet clear, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport described the deal as "front-loaded."

NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco reported earlier this month that the 49ers had given Aiyuk permission to discussion a new contract with teams including the Steelers, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders. Maiocco noted that Aiyuk considered the Steelers to be "a preferred destination."

Although ESPN's Dan Graziano reported during the 2023 season that the Broncos were willing to listen to offers for Sutton, it seems the 49ers' reported offer of a third-rounder this offseason wasn't enough to sway them this summer.