Brandon Aiyuk Landing Spots: 5 Potential Destinations for the Star WR Amid Rumors of 49ers Exit

In a surprising move, the San Francisco 49ers voided the 2026 guarantees of star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Having just signed him to a four-year extension prior to the 2024 NFL season, it appears now that the 2023 second-team All-Pro will soon be suiting up for a new team.

Aiyuk, of course, has missed the entire 2025 season recovering from ACL and MCL injuries he suffered in October of last year. According to The Athletic, the team reported he has not attended meetings or participated in other team activities in recent months.

Whether it be through a trade or a signing after the 49ers release him, Aiyuk figures to be headed elsewhere for 2026 and beyond. Let’s take a look at five NFL teams who would be wise to consider acquiring him next offseason.

New England Patriots

Before Aiyuk signed his contract extension with San Francisco in 2024, the New England Patriots were floated around as a potential landing spot for him in a trade. However, Aiyuk reportedly did not believe in the state of the franchise being a playoff contender, as well as having uncertainty around their quarterback position.

Those reasons were valid at the time, as the Patriots were coming off consecutive losing seasons and had an unproven rookie in Drake Maye at the helm. In the short term, they ended up being right, as New England went 4-13 in 2024. But now that they sit at 9-2 and Maye is the third-most efficient quarterback in the NFL, those concerns may fade away.

The Patriots are getting solid production out of the likes of Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte in the passing game this year. However, when Aiyuk is healthy, he would likely be the best of the bunch in that wide receiver room. Adding another top weapon to their offense could further propel them to the top of the NFL.

Buffalo Bills

Though their 7-4 record as of this writing is still pretty respectable, the Buffalo Bills haven’t gotten quite the production they wanted out of the wide receiver position. Khalil Shakir remains a talented starting option, but he’s much more of a WR2 than an ideal leading target. Keon Coleman hasn’t developed as planned, and Joshua Palmer’s numbers are down.

Granted, the Bills have gotten some intriguing flashes from youngster Tyrell Shavers, but that isn’t enough for them to consider the wide receiver room fixed. Aiyuk would likely be the top wide receiver in that room, especially if he gets back to his 2023 form when he returns from injury.

Buffalo has consistently been one of the top teams in the AFC, but they haven’t quite been able to get over the hump and make it to the Super Bowl. Adding another top weapon like Aiyuk could be a good move to help them reach the grandest stage.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear WR1 on their roster in DK Metcalf. Though he’s on pace to fall just short of 1,000 receiving yards this year, the talent gap between him and the rest of the wide receiver room is apparent. In the short term, at least, it’s clear the decision to trade George Pickens is coming back to bite them.

Of the Steelers’ seven most-targeted players in the passing game, only two of them are wide receivers. Calvin Austin III is a serviceable third option, but he’s the number-two guy on Pittsburgh’s roster right now. He’s 76th among wide receivers in receiving yards, and there are 32 teams in the NFL. It doesn’t take a mathematician to tell his numbers aren’t up to the WR2 standard.

A signing or trade to the Steelers would ease Aiyuk into a supporting role, seeing as though he’s coming off a major injury. Even then, his numbers in 2024 before getting hurt weren’t as strong as his 2023 campaign. Still, he’d be a massive upgrade in Pittsburgh’s wide receiver room, and working alongside Metcalf could make life a lot easier for Aiyuk.

Denver Broncos

Ranking 15th in the NFL in PFSN Offense Impact, the Denver Broncos don’t have the most explosive passing attack in the league. Still, they’re winning a lot of games in 2025, and their 9-2 record is something to be extremely proud of.

Courtland Sutton remains a solid top target for Bo Nix and the Denver offense, as he’s 16th among wide receivers this season with 649 receiving yards through 11 games. Second-year wideout Troy Franklin has been a pleasant surprise this year, too, as his yardage total through 11 games is almost double what he had in 16 games last year as a rookie.

Still, what’s one more dynamic weapon like Aiyuk into the mix? Given his abilities after the catch, he would put a lot of pressure off Nix to make big plays through the air, relying more on spacing and Aiyuk’s own agility to extend the play. Wide receiver isn’t a massive need for the Broncos anymore, but adding him to their offense could take an already talented team to another level.

Seattle Seahawks

Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the NFL in PFSN Wide Receiver Impact with a 97.7 grade; he’s having a phenomenal year for the Seattle Seahawks. As impactful as their passing game has been, they could still use one more stud wide receiver on their offense.

Cooper Kupp is still a capable contributor at wide receiver, but he’s battled through injuries this year, and his current 43.3 receiving yards per game is a career-low average. The Seahawks traded for Rashid Shaheed before the NFL trade deadline, but they’re clearly working him slowly into the offense, as he has just 30 receiving yards through his first two games with the team.

If Seattle doesn’t extend Shaheed this offseason, they’ll be back in the market for a second wide receiver to complement Smith-Njigba. Whether it be through a trade or a free agency signing, Aiyuk could be an enticing option. Plus, getting to play against his former team twice a year in the NFC West could make for some entertaining football.