Here’s a 49ers trade possibility: Option One: Lamborghini for another

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As has been discussed almost daily, the San Francisco 49ers standout wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk He is seeking a significant pay rise. He has been very vocal about this and has taken to social media to defend his position.

During an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Aiyuk expressed frustration with the state of contract negotiations. He considers himself an elite wide receiver and wants to be paid as such.

“I don’t know what the finances are like or what they’re doing,” Aiyuk said. “If you can’t afford a Lamborghini, you can’t have one.”

And as much as he’d like to get paid today, Aiyuk keeps running up against this indisputable fact: He’s contractually committed to the 49ers, who have a lease-to-own deal.

Aiyuk is under contract with the 49ers through the 2024 season, which guarantees him a $14.1 million salary for next season. Under the contract, the 49ers can keep their Lamborghini for one more year and then make a long-term decision next year.

That won’t make Aiyuk happy, but it’s an option.

Hopefully, the team and player will come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension before training camp. But what if they don’t? What if Aiyuk decides to boycott training camp and force a trade? What if the Niners exercise their one-year option on Aiyuk and trade his Lamborghini for another Lamborghini? What if the Niners trade Aiyuk outright to the Broncos for cornerback Patrick Surtain II?

Pro Football Focus rates 49ers cornerbacks Mooney Ward and Surtain as the third- and fourth-best coverage corners in the game.

If the Niners are sold Ricky Pearsall and willing to fit him into the lineup, they could move Aiyuk, improve the team and gain salary cap savings and flexibility.

Elite corners make $20 million annually, while the market for an elite wide receiver is closer to $30 million annually. That’s a $10 million annual price difference (with emphasis on the year). Trading Auyik for a top-tier cornerback could save San Francisco $50 million over five years. With an additional $50 million, the team could retain more of its talent on its roster.

Acquiring Surtain would cost the Niners $3.5 million this year and $19.8 million next year. Management could restructure Surtain’s 2024 contract, making it a long-term deal and saving enough money to retain Surtain and Mooney Ward.

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl with two elite press cornerbacks: La’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie.

Pairing Surtain with Ward and moving Deommodore Lenior to nickel would give the Niners the best cornerback duo and the best defense in football.

Presumably, the Niners’ ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl this year. That starts with winning the NFC title, where they’ll have to overcome the surging Rams, Packers and Lions, who all boast top-tier talent at wide receiver.

If the Niners overcome those hurdles, they could earn a Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs, who enter 2024 with a better receiving corps than the one they fielded in last year’s Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes remains the most dangerous quarterback in the game, and he now has elite speedsters to throw to: Hollywood Brown, who posted a 4.27 40-yard dash time at his Pro Day at Oklahoma, and first-round pick Xavier Worthy, who posted a record-setting 4.21 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine.

So the question is: Do the 49ers have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl with Brandon Aiyuk to throw to or with two cornerbacks who can take the pass away?

Brandon Aiyuk is an exceptional talent. There’s no doubt about that. However, the Niners’ best route to the Super Bowl may be to trade one Lamborghini for another.