The Brandon Aiyuk saga took another turn on Friday, as reports stated that Aiyuk’s camp and the San Francisco 49ers had re-engaged contract negotiations, and that the potential for a return to the Niners was back on the table, perhaps even likely. Later on, it was reported that the Browns and 49ers had agreed to a trade that would send Aiyuk to Cleveland in exchange for Amari Cooper, a second-round pick, and a fifth-round pick, presumably in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that Aiyuk was not interested in playing for the Browns. Cooper doesn’t seem too thrilled to have learned about this, as his most recent Instagram post shows:
Amari Cooper’s latest IG story post… pic.twitter.com/gbhj4kB4QP
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 10, 2024
While it’s possible that Cooper is referring to something else, Occam’s Razor would say it’s pretty clear what he’s talking about – the possibility of moving to the West Coast to play for a team that just went to the Super Bowl. Cooper has earned a reputation for being a no-nonsense player who works hard and doesn’t talk much, so it will be interesting to see if anything more comes of this. On one hand, it’s understandable that he wouldn’t be happy to hear that his team tried to trade him, but on the other hand, the NFL is a business, and Cooper certainly understand that; he just wrapped up a training camp holdout in order to get the Browns to guarantee him some money this season, and he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Both sides are just trying to do what’s best for them, and this situation just further increases the probability that this will be Cooper’s final season in Cleveland. The situation over the coming weeks will be one to watch, as making one of the team’s best players unhappy could have some consequences in the locker room.
For the Browns, it makes sense why they’d want to pursue Aiyuk. A first-round pick in 2020, he has developed into one of the best WRs in the league, and just turned 26 years old in March. While playing for the team that threw the ball the least in 2023, Aiyuk turned 105 targets into 75 catches for 1,342 yards, seven touchdowns, a fantastic 17.9 yards per reception, and a Second-Team All-Pro selection. He is extremely athletic and has honed his craft to become an excellent route runner. Aiyuk was arguably a top-five WR in 2023, and likely would have given the Browns a WR1 for the next 3-4 years, albeit at a hefty contract that probably would have paid him over $30 million per year.
Despite costing a second-round and fifth-round pick in addition to Cooper, from a pure roster-building perspective, the move would have been justifiable for Cleveland, both in 2024 and for the future. Perhaps Aiyuk will change his mind and decide he would be happy playing for the Browns, but at the moment, it seems like he will remain a 49er. At the very least, the Browns won’t have to deal with him when they play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice a year.
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