San Francisco 49ers Welcome Brand Aiyuk Trade Rumors with "Fire Pick" Approval

The San Francisco 49ers are open to trading wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk amidst contract negotiations and the recent drafting of Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the NFL Draft.

The San Francisco 49ers are receptive to the swirling trade rumors surrounding Brandon Aiyuk, their wide receiver who has reportedly been on the trading block for some time. The speculation has intensified in recent weeks, with fellow 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel also being mentioned in potential trades.

Aiyuk's desire for a new contract is at the heart of the trade buzz. To bolster their wide receiver corps, the 49ers selected Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall with the 30th overall pick in Thursday night's NFL Draft, further fueling the speculation about Aiyuk's future with the team.

Despite the mounting rumors, Aiyuk surprisingly gave his seal of approval to the selection of Pearsall. In a text message to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, Aiyuk expressed his positive reaction: "Fire pick, can't lie."

Pearsall's impressive 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns at Florida last season make him a potential option as a slot receiver for the 49ers. The connection between Aiyuk and Pearsall, who were teammates at Arizona State in 2019, adds another layer to the situation.

"We have a really good relationship," Pearsall said. "I just got off the phone with [Aiyuk] before I got over here on this Zoom call, and he was just congratulating me and telling me over and over again, ‘You’re a first rounder, man. Soak it up.’ There's been a lot of work put in since we last ran routes together. I feel like I’m a totally different player since the last time we've seen each other."

The 49ers, after finishing just one game shy of the Super Bowl but once again blowing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, hope to bolster their roster with the addition of Pearsall.

This year's NFL Draft marked the 49ers' first first-round pick since 2021, when they selected quarterback Trey Lance third overall. San Francisco traded their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to move up nine spots that year to draft Lance, who started only four games for the team before being traded to Dallas last August.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.