The Los Angeles Chargers brought wide receiver Mike Williams back in free agency, but they still need to add to the room and give Justin Herbert more weapons. At this point in free agency, with the options available, it is most likely that the Chargers will turn to the NFL Draft and add a wideout (or two) that way.
However, Bleacher Report NFL Reporter Moe Moton proposes a potential trade to give the Bolts a star at the position as they are still well in the black in cap space.
In his latest article, 7 Surprise Trades That Can Still Happen After Early Free Agency, Moton suggests the Chargers trade for San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk.
Los Angeles Chargers Make Bold Trade For Brandon Aiyuk
In Moton’s scenario, the Chargers trade a 3rd-round pick in exchange for Aiyuk.
“Teams interested in the 2020 first-round pick must be comfortable with his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL and a four-year, $120 million deal he signed last offseason,” Moton writes.
“A playoff-caliber club flushed with cap space is a good suitor for Aiyuk. The Chargers have $50.7 million in cap space (they are down to $42.38 million since his writing), and they don’t need his immediate contributions. Los Angeles went 11-6 with Ladd McConkey as its most reliable pass-catcher last season.”
The 49ers seem to be ditching all of their top assets in an effort to retool with younger, cheaper, talent around soon-to-be very expensive quarterback Brock Purdy. Aiyuk has been in the trade rumor mill for well over a year and has been linked to the Chargers before, so this actually happening is not complete nonsense.
Also Read: Los Angeles Chargers NFL Draft Pick Tracker
It would also give the Chargers more flexibility in the NFL Draft to take the best player available and not get pigeon-holed into having to take a WR early.
“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,” writes Moton.
“Before Aiyuk missed 10 games in 2024, he saw an increase in receiving yards total every year since his 2020 rookie campaign. The big-play receiver averaged 17.9 yards per reception in 2023.”
Aiyuk had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. If he can get back to full health, he would be a tremendous asset in the Chargers offense and a good option for a 3rd-round pick.