The New England Patriots reportedly offered San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk well over $80 million to sign with them, according to NFL Insider Albert Breer.
Aiyuk ended up re-signing with the San Francisco 49ers to a four-year deal worth $120 million. The Patriots initially agreed to trade with the 49ers, but they couldn’t agree on a contract with Aiyuk, who never really showed much interest in coming to New England.
So the Patriots decided to bow out of the Aiyuk sweepstakes at the beginning of August and focus more on their younger group of wide receivers.
“It was well over 80 [million]. And I can tell you this, too, the first three years were virtually guaranteed,” Breer said on “Zolak and Bertrand.”
"The Patriots' guarantee [for Brandon Aiyuk] exceeded $80M… it was well over $80M"@AlbertBreer shares new details with @ZoandBertrand about the Patriots' offer to Brandon Aiyuk pic.twitter.com/16xQK0qt5D
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) September 5, 2024
Despite bowing out, the Patriots clearly made an effort to land the All-Pro wide receiver. Aiyuk would have given New England a true No. 1 option at the receiver position.
If anything, this report is a reminder that the Patriots are not an attractive destination for stars at the moment. San Francisco has an opportunity to go back to the Super Bowl, while the Patriots are a rebuilding team hoping for a winning record in 2024.
