One of the biggest current storylines is that of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and his holdout. He is not practicing for the Niners, and a trade out of San Francisco seems imminent. That means, while the Tennessee Titans are getting ready to square off against the Niners in Preseason Week 1, they could be looking at a San Francisco offense minus Aiyuk.
But wait a minute ... how does this impact the Tennessee Titans?
Aren't the latest rumored destinations the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns?
They sure are, however, there was also a piece published at CBS Sports that called the Indianapolis Colts a "mystery team" that could be involved in an Aiyuk trade, as well. If the Colts somehow pulled off an Aiyuk trade, that would be a dagger for Tennessee.
Already, the Titans have watched the Houston Texans load up for a Super Bowl run behind the likes of C.J. Stroud. It's been tough to keep up, but the Titans have indeed made a good amount of moves to try and compete with Houston. If Will Levis takes a big step forward, anything can happen.
But, now Anthony Richardson returns for his second season after only starting four games last year, as a rookie, due to an injury which ended the campaign early. The Colts have Richardson, Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. already. Add in Aiyuk, and, well, that's bad news for the Titans who are looking to compete within the AFC South.
Richardson has received a ton of hype this offseason, as has Stroud in Houston. This division has gone from "anyone's game" a year ago to what could be ultra-competitive in 2024. Going into last year, no one would have predicted the Texans' sudden rise. And now, the Colts look to be riding Richardson to new heights as well.
Suddenly, the AFC South is much tougher.
What would a Brandon Aiyuk trade look like?
If the 49ers dealt Aiyuk, at all, the starting price would look something like this:
In the recent rumored deal involving Cleveland, the Browns would send Amari Cooper to San Francisco. But, what do the Niners want, exactly? It's unclear whether they want a receiver in return, or if they're comfortable with Deebo Samuel and the rookie first rounder Ricky Pearsall as their top two.
Pittsburgh doesn't exactly have a wide receiver to offer either, as they're not parting with George Pickens. But, the Steelers are firmly in the race, and maybe it's because they're willing to give up ample draft capital.
In any event, if the Colts were to land Aiyuk, they automatically become even more dangerous. Thankfully, the Titans added a couple of starting corners this offseason in L'Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie. They're already going to need them, but if Aiyuk ends up in Indy, those two are going to be counted on even more heavily.