Falcons urged to trade for disgruntled $120 million receiver
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The Atlanta Falcons are in an interesting position this offseason.
The team missed the postseason last year, and in a bid to improve, made several notable changes this offseason. For instance, Tua Tagovailoa was brought in to challenge Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback after Penix largely struggled in 2025.
The Falcons luckily have one of the best running backs and one of the best tight ends in the league. Drake London is also a reliable receiver, but there's not much behind that trio on offense. As a result, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report identified the Falcons as a logical landing spot for Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk is disgruntled in San Francisco and has not played at all since 2024 and has not played a full season since 2023. As a result, there's definitely some risk involved here, but Aiyuk was, at one time, an All-Pro receiver.
Regarding Aiyuk and the Falcons, Davenport offered the following:
Whoever is under center in Atlanta has some weapons at his disposal in wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
However, the trio of wide receivers behind London—Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Zachariah Branch—aren't exactly scaring anyone.
The NFC South is arguably the most wide-open division in the league. All four teams have a legitimate chance to capture the crown if things break the right way.
Adding Aiyuk on the cheap could greatly increase the chances of that happening for the Falcons in 2026.
As Davenport mentioned, the Falcons have a solid starting group of weapons. However, the depth is questionable at best, so a player like Aiyuk could end up making a huge difference.
In 2024, Aiyuk played in seven games and caught just 25 passes for 374 yards. That was the worst season of Aiyuk's career, but the year prior, he caught 75 passes for 1,342 and seven touchdowns. Aiyuk has surpassed 1,000 yards twice in his career and seemed to be on the way to becoming one of the best in the league at one point.
Unfortunately, Aiyuk has dealt with injuries and being unhappy in San Francisco. There's conflicting reports on what started it, but Aiyuk and the 49ers have been unhappy with each other for multiple years now. It still seems like a parting of ways is inevitable.
As for trade compensation, the 49ers likely aren't expecting much. After all, everyone knows Aiyuk is unhappy, and he hasn't played in multiple seasons. The Falcons could likely get this deal done for a late-round pick, or they could just wait and try to sign Aiyuk is he gets cut.
In Atlanta, the Falcons would likely start London, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Aiyuk at receiver. This still wouldn't be the best receiver room in the league, but it would be a major improvement.