Coming off a trip to the playoffs, the Los Angeles Chargers’ offseason has been all about building the trenches. The Chargers signed 6-foot-7, 364-pound guard Mekhi Becton and other signings such as center Andre James and edge rush Da’Shawn Hand have been about upgrading the offensive and defensive lines.
But Los Angeles can’t forget about upgrading their playmakers. The Chargers caught lightning in a bottle last season when J.K. Dobbins and Ladd McConkey had breakout seasons. But although they signed former Steelers running back Najee Harris and reunited with wide receiver Mike Williams, they still need the elite deep threat that can take the top off the defense.
A projected trade by B/R’s Mo Moton could have the answer in a blockbuster trade that could solve the Chargers’ issues at wide receiver.
Chargers Trade for 49ers Star Brandon Aiyuk in Projected Blockbuster
In an article suggesting surprising trades that should happen after the first wave of free agency, Moton believes that the Chargers’ answer should be trading a 2025 third-round pick for San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension last summer but suffered a torn ACL and MCL midway through last season. Still, Moton believes that Aiyuk can be a consistent deep threat and allow McConkey to work the underneath areas to breathe life into the Chargers passing game.
“The Chargers have $50.7 million in cap space, and they don’t need his immediate contributions,” Moton wrote. “Los Angeles went 11-6 with [McConkey] as its most reliable pass-catcher last season. Once Aiyuk fully recovers, he can be a more consistent deep threat than Mike Williams on the perimeter, while McConkey attacks the intermediate zones out of the slot.”
This idea sounds great on paper. The 49ers have been clearing out space to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a big-money contract and Aiyuk could be the next player on the way out following Deebo Samuel’s trade to the Washington Commanders. The Chargers could use Aiyuk and have the salary cap space to make a trade happen.
But things get complicated when you think about the logistics. Aiyuk’s knee is a factor and a team would have to be comfortable with his recovery to make a deal. That could be baked into the projected third-round cost it would take to make this trade happen. But it’s unlikely the 49ers would take a modest return with 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings at the top of the depth chart.
Free agent signing Demarcus Robinson could also be in line for a suspension stemming from a DUI arrest last November and it makes more sense the 49ers would want to wait out Aiyuk’s injury. It’s possible that San Francisco could feel otherwise, but they don’t seem interested in a full rebuild with George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk still on the roster.
With the Chargers owning the 22nd overall pick in next month’s draft, they could also opt to take a top pass-catcher to fill the void. But it appears Los Angeles will have to look for another avenue to acquire a premiere target for Justin Herbert.