3 reasons Brandon Aiyuk will regret passing on the Patriots trade offer

It has been a dramatic few days in New England as the rumors about the Patriots trading for Brandon Aiyuk heated up. They had been actively pursuing the wide receiver since before the draft earlier this year, reportedly offering their second-round pick to complete the deal and improve the receiving corps ahead of the season.

The 49ers had been reluctant to entertain any offers and rejected all inquiries until this week. They have since decided to allow Aiyuk and his agents to speak with teams inquiring about a trade, involving him in the decision-making process to eventually deal him if the right offer is made.

That's when it was revealed that the Browns and Patriots had deals on the table for him, and it was left to Aiyuk to decide where he wanted to go. It was a good move for the Patriots, who had made it very clear they wanted him on the roster until the Steelers re-entered trade talks after Aiyuk had allegedly expressed interest in becoming a Steeler.

As the hours went on, conflicting reports emerged regarding the Niners and Aiyuk's interests and what the teams had offered, eventually leading to the Patriots to back out of the running for the wide receiver.

It was a disappointing development after Eliot Wolf had seemingly gone all in to get the deal done, but reports claimed Aiyuk hadn't expressed any interest in accepting the Patriots terms despite having offered the most money.

Most might not be surprised that he didn't even consider the Patriots, given their current status. However, there are a few reasons Aiyuk should have seriously pondered before completely ignoring their efforts to bring him to the team, some of which he might learn to regret.

3 reasons Brandon Aiyuk will regret not considering trade to Patriots

1. They offered the most money in a contract extension

Because of the ongoing situation between Aiyuk and the 49ers focusing on the lack of money offered during extension talks, the assumption has been that the receiver wants a certain amount in a new contract. It has been reported that he wants to be one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL, and at this point, it doesn't appear that his current team is willing to accomodate.

With that in mind, the Patriots were open to paying AIyuk what he was looking for and were reportedly "prepared to offer the largest deal of the teams" pursuing him. Sources told NBC Sports Bay Area that the contract offer topped $30 million a year, which would have met Aiyuk's apparent desire in an extension.

However, his lack of consideration for the Patriots shows it's not about money after all, or there would be no reason to turn down the team offering you the most, right?

2. They are a historically well-run franchise, which can't be said about the other teams he's considering

Despite the last year of chaos surrounding Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft, the Patriots have been a well-oiled machine since the owner bought the team in 1994. The Krafts care about the organization and the players and have historically not been too involved in football operations, making it a dream place for most coaches and staff to work.

There is an effort from Robert, however, to know the players and their families, which he does by attending practices and games and having events at his home for the team. He is a well-respected name in the NFL, which can't be said about the other teams Aiyuk is considering.

Besides the Steelers, who the Rooney family has owned for nearly 100 years, the Browns and Commanders are not at the top of the list of best front offices.

The Browns have been a questionably run team for many years, even more so after the acquisition of Deshaun Watson, and the Commanders recently forced their owner to sell the team after many disturbing accusations were made toward him and the staff.

On top of that, Commanders Field is basically falling apart, and there are no immediate plans to renovate or improve the stadium's conditions. Aiyuk's connection to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels might be strong, but is it really enough to overlook everything else?

3. They have a plan for the future and the new regime have proven it

After hearing Aiyuk didn't consider going to New England, one of the assumptions was that the quarterback situation was a deterrent, plus having a first-time head coach and a lack of an exciting offensive roster. While some of that might be true, it wouldn't make too much sense given the state of the other teams Aiyuk is allegedly interested in.

The Commanders also have a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels, an offense that will primarily run through Terry McLaurin, and a head coach who was fired from the position three years ago, hoping to prove he's improved this year.

The Browns have been a mess of a team for several years and have gone through the most head coaches in recent history that anyone can remember. They haven't been a contender for years and aren't expected to be anytime soon, especially with the Bengals in their division and already have two receivers on the team wanting top-of-the-league money.

The Steelers, at least, have Mike Tomlin to draw players in, and given his pedigree, it makes sense. But beyond the head coach, Pittsburgh has big question marks at quarterback after acquiring Justin Fields and Russell Wilson and generally finishes in the middle of the pack, which typically isn't good enough to make the postseason.

The Patriots might not be a contender this year or next, but they've made it clear they're willing to weaponize the offense. They prioritized the roster in this year's draft and selected the quarterback of the future with their first-round pick.

Wolf also re-signed several of their best offensive players this offseason, including Hunter Henry, Mike Onwenu, and Rhamondre Stevenson, proving even further the emphasis on improving the offense to set up a better future.

Maybe it's not what Aiyuk wants to be a part of, as the Patriots are clearly in a rebuild. But it's clear he also doesn't necessarily want to go to a contender, either, since none of the other teams are on track to be competitive this year.

At the end of the day, it looked like there were more reasons for him to seriously consider a trade to New England beyond their contract offer, but Aiyuk decided they weren't worth it. Hopefully, that will change in the future when they inevitably pursue another top player, and next time, they'll choose to go.

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