Could Brandon Aiyuk land with the New York Jets?
That’s the speculation from the 33rd Team, which is projecting the Jets as one of five potential landing spots for Aiyuk. Set to enter his fifth year in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver is one of the best players at his position in the league.
Last year, Aiyuk had 75 catches for 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season. Last year was his first All-Pro selection (second-team).
Aiyuk is owed $14.124 million for the 2024 season.
This is the last year of Aiyuk’s contract with the 49ers. He is an unrestricted free agent next season.
Given the 49ers star-laden team, the money for Aiyuk may not be there next offseason in terms of the salary cap. This might mean that the 49ers, in order to obtain some sort of compensation for Aiyuk, might want to move the star wide receiver.
Marcus Mosher, in writing for ‘The 33rd Team’ nuances through a situation where the Jets could target Aiyuk. It isn’t feasible, Mosher rightly writes, but it could make sense:
“New York doesn’t have the cap space to get a deal done right now, but they can easily free up some money with a few restructures. If the Jets are really all-in for this season, why not go out and get the best receiver available and make the offense even more explosive?
It might seem like overkill, but with such a small window, it’s not be a bad idea to consider.”
Last year, the Jets had the second-worst total offense in the NFL and were bottom three in passing offense.
A healthy Aaron Rodgers could and should go a long way toward addressing the ailing offense. Could an all-in move from Brandon Aiyuk put the Jets over the top and make them the AFC East favorites?
