The Jacksonville Jaguars have already made several upgrades to the roster in the offseason but could still use reinforcements. Specifically, they need to round out their wide receiver corps. Fortunately, the Jags will have several enticing options in the 2025 NFL Draft, but if they want to get a proven veteran, they'll need to act quickly, or they'll lose their chance.
Adam Schefter reports that the San Francisco 49ers owe Brandon Aiyuk a $22.85 million bonus that is due on April 1, pointing out that once they'll shut down any trade talks once they pay him the bonus.
Earlier this offseason, the Niners traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders and are seemingly open to moving Aiyuk in order to shed cap space.
Aiyuk only suited up for seven games in 2024 after tearing his ACL but tallied over 1,000 receiving years in each of the two prior seasons. He got into a contract impasse with San Francisco last offseason, but they sorted things out when he agreed to a four-year deal worth $120 million.
Aside from the bonus he's set to get, his recovery from ACL surgery may prompt potential suitors to ultimately stay put. In fact, the 49ers would probably move on from him if they could, but they cannot outright release him because he's not healthy enough to pass a physical, and the payment is guaranteed for injuries.
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Why the Jaguars aren't probably interested in trading for Brandon Aiyuk
There are no reports linking the Jacksonville Jaguars to Brandon Aiyuk. They certainly have the cap space to afford to pay him his bonus, and he would give their wide receiver unit a massive boost. Having said that, they may want to look somewhere else for upgrades to Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons.
Veterans such as Amari Cooper or Keenan Allen are still available on the open market. They're both healthier than Aiyuk and probably cheaper. Furthermore, Jacksonville wouldn't have to compensate a team to acquire either one. On the other hand, the draft is less than three weeks away.
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone told the local media that the team doesn't plan to beef up the defensive line in free agency because whatever veterans they bring could prevent their rookie class from getting playing time. The same could be said about virtually the rest of the roster.
If the Jaguars want to get a wide receiver at No. 5, they could roll with either Travis Hunter or Tetairoa McMilan, but if they want to address another position in the first round, they could easily afford to wait until Day 2 of the draft and target someone like Matthew Golden or Jayen Royals.
Ultimately, you can never say never in the NFL, but the odds of the Jacksonville Jaguars trading for Brandon Aiyuk appear to be virtually zero. Instead, expect them to get Trevor Lawrence one or even two extra weapons in the draft.
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