Brandon Aiyuk's eye-watering contract offer from Patriots revealed

The New England Patriots were hit with a major punch in the gut after their pursuit of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk went up in flames. Just a few hours after it looked like Aiyuk was ready to come to Foxborough, negotiations have stalled out.

Considering how any team who trades for the Pro Bowl receiver will need to give him a new contract that either approaches or exceeds $30 million per season. In need of a No. 1 wide receiver who can accentuate the talents of Drake Maye, the Patriots were all ready to make this trade happen.

Sadly, it seems like Aiyuk has moved on, with the Pittsburgh Steelers hot on his tail. New England can't be faulted for lack of trying, as they were willing to go all-in on a deal that would have made Aiyuk one of the richest men in the game.

According to Mike Reiss, Aiyuk's offer from New England was a four-year contract worth around $32 million in average annual value. This would have tied him for second place among all receivers in the NFL in AAV with Philadelphia's AJ Brown and put him behind only Minnesota's Justin Jefferson.

Patriots offered Brandon Aiyuk $32 million per year contract

The All-Pro receiver is fresh off his second consecutive 1,000-yard season, tallying over 1,300 yards on a 49ers team that made it to the Super Bowl. Still, many are skeptical of Aiyuk's success, as playing Kyle Shanahan's offense and never getting double-teamed due to the plethora of weapons around him boosted his numbers.

However, Patriots fans might be a bit more optimistic that he could have carried over his success in San Francisco. Now in line to receive unquestioned No. 1 receiver targets, Aiyuk could become the featured offensive attraction for Maye and the Patriots.

Aiyuk has some valid concerns about the Patriots. Contenders like Pittsburgh will be willing to pay Aiyuk a comparable salary, and the Las Vegas native might not be as keen on spending his prime seasons in the cold on a rebuilding team like the Patriots. It's a shame, but not a crazy decision for Aiyuk.

The Patriots may need to look for other avenues to improve the talent around Maye, which most acknowledge is substandard right now. Aiyuk would have been perfect, but there are too many contenders with their hands in the cookie jar for New England to compete with.