The New England Patriots tried to land the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, offering a hefty amount as per reports. Interestingly, the Niners too were comfortable with that trade. However, it came as a surprise for many, when the 26-year-old rejected that offer effortlessly. But why did he reject it? The answer could definitely not be the money!

Aiyuk is entering his final year with the 49ers and is currently on a hunt for a team that can give him his desired amount (which is estimated to be around $30 million). And here’s the catch! Aiyuk was reportedly offered more than $30 million by the Foxborough team. However, Patriots insider, Tom E. Curran revealed Aiyuk’s rejection and Bill Belichick’s role in it.

The Patriots are paying a heavy price!

In a recent episode of the Rich Eisen Show on August 9, 2024, the host was joined by Patriots’ insider, Tom E. Curran, to talk about why Aiyuk rejected an offer from New England. Curran explained that while the Patriots had a significant amount of cap space available, they struggled to attract top talent, particularly wide receivers like Aiyuk.

He pointed out that Bill Belichick had tried to rebuild the team by spending heavily on free agents in 2021 and drafting key players like the second-round defensive lineman, Christian Barmore. But it didn’t pan out as expected. And after three years, the team found itself in a difficult position. Curran highlighted, “Bill had squirreled money away to say ‘coming after it again, in 24.’ And that’s where [Robert] Kraft said no, you had your shot. You’re not going to do that again….So, they had this massive amount of money, Rich. But they just didn’t have anybody to spend it on.”

Continuing on his explanation, the insider said, “They still have $40 million in cap space….but they were so bad under Bill, and for two years have been so bad offensively that they are repellent, they are wide receiver repellent, all the rest of the week.” According to him, players saw how the team was performing, averaging just 10 points per game, and hence, they didn’t want to risk joining a struggling offense with a new coaching staff and uncertain outcomes. Ultimately, Aiyuk “wasn’t that into” the Patriots and the team had to back off eventually.

There is no doubt that under Belichick, the team has seen both good and bad days in the league. But as they say, the recent phase counts. Similarly, the Patriots under Belichick were not that good in the past two or three years, and the last season was arguably awful for them with just 4 wins and 13 losses. Offensively, they were on rank 30, with 276.2 Offense Yards Avg.

Therefore, Kraft had to decide to part ways with Belichick after “What has gone on the last three to four years isn’t what we want. We have the responsibility to do what we can to fix it to the best of our ability.” And the repercussions of a struggling team are now easily visible.

Besides Curran, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini too mentioned, “(The Patriots) essentially had a contract in place for Aiyuk giving him around $32 million a year, and with trade compensation that the San Francisco 49ers were OK with. But Aiyuk did not want to go play for New England….He does not believe the quarterback position is at the level that he wants it to be at right now, and he wants to be on a team that he believes can make a run in the playoffs. He doesn’t see New England as being that type of team.” So, where will Aiyuk land next?

Brandon Aiyuk to return to the 49ers?

Earlier it was reported that Brandon Aiyuk has shown interest in the Steelers, especially after tagging coach Mike Tomlin on X. However, now according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, this talk has been somewhat sidelined. The twist is “The #49ers have made a renewed effort in recent days to strike a long-term deal with WR Brandon Aiyuk….a return to SF appears increasingly possible.” So, is this true? Will Aiyuk be back with the 49ers in 2024?

Well, it might be just a rumor, as the WR himself commented on Pelissero’s post, saying, “Niners be in the media every day lol, it’s two options out there pick one and stop dropping reports simple.” This statement perhaps hints that Aiyuk might not be coming back with the Santa Carla team this year, and all these talks of him being back in San Francisco are just rumors.

And yet again, it remains to be seen what’s in store next for Aiyuk!