Patriots Rumors: Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins, Justin Jefferson and Courtland Sutton

Get up to date with all the latest rumors surrounding the New England Patriots regarding their interest in a variety of receivers via trade.

49ers are "trying to get a deal done" with Brandon Aiyuk

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the Patriots' interest in trading for Brandon Aiyuk, which only heated up more during the 2024 NFL Draft weekend. The assumption was they would at the very least inquire about his availability and maybe offer their second round pick, but at the end of Round 7, no trade had been made.

Since then, NFL insiders have revealed that Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf had been in contact with the 49ers, wanting to know about trading for Aiyuk and even Deebo Samuel.

However, the inquiries were allegedly not entertained, as San Francisco is now trying to get an extension done with Aiyuk and wants to keep moving forward with Samuel.

It's a disappointing development, considering both players had been dangled as potential trade bait before and during the draft process.

Now, it looks like it'll be a long shot for the Patriots to convince the 49ers to agree to a trade for either player, mainly Aiyuk.

Nothing is ever off the table entirely, though. This is professional sports; generally, everybody has a price, so never say never. And if negotiations stall with Aiyuk, they might be more willing to ship him off to a team who had already expressed interest.

Bengals are toying with Tee Higgins, who has demanded a trade twice now

A lot of the conversation about a potential trade between the Bengals and Patriots for Tee Higgins has quieted down in recent weeks, but new revelations regarding their contract negotiations have reignited the possibility of a trade in the future.

The latest update on what appears to be a standoff between the Bengals and Higgins was published by Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who claims there was a clear discrepancy between what the receiver wants to be paid and how much the team has offered.

According to Conway, the offers were made last year and never came close to a $20 million annual salary, which is less than what they will pay him on the franchise tag in 2024. Since those talks, no further negotiations have taken place.

"The Bengals never approached the $20 million range for Higgins, sources told The Enquirer. Due to the original offer Cincinnati’s front office gave Higgins for his annual salary, the two sides never advanced to the next round of conversations which would have been about guaranteed money, sources also confirmed to The Enquirer."

It's a situation that makes absolutely no sense, hence why Higgins requested a trade for a second time the week leading to the draft.

The Bengals insist they want to keep one of their best offensive players during their championship window, but they continue to prove they're unwilling to pay him a competitive salary.

This could create an opportunity for the Patriots to swoop in and make a trade, as they have the financial means to pay Higgins what he's looking for and deserves. Cincinnati should deal him when he's in the highest demand or risk watching him walk in free agency for nothing.

Justin Jefferson was never offered in a trade package from the Vikings for the Patriots' No. 3 pick

Because the Vikings appeared as the top team looking to trade into the top-3 picks of this year's draft, meaning they would need to get a deal done with the Patriots to get there, there was a lot of talk about Justin Jefferson being included in the trade packages to absolve them from having to include so many draft picks.

The speculation continued the longer an extension with the receiver wasn't getting accomplished, which remains post-draft.

It appears the Vikings are sticking to their stance of not making Jefferson available, as Adam Schefter revealed he was never offered to the Patriots in a trade package.

Although other reports claim the Patriots were hellbent on sticking and picking at No. 3, it is interesting to consider if the Vikings had offered Jefferson if that would've changed their mind at all.

Besides that, believing they would ever trade away their best receiver was probably a dream, even if nothing is ever out of the question in the NFL.

Courtland Sutton looks like he still wants out of Denver

Although they drafted two receivers in this year's draft (Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker), the Patriots might still be in the market for a clear WR1. In that case, they might be able to add Broncos' Courtland Sutton to their shortlist of players to call about, as he continues not to seem too thrilled with how things are going in Denver.

Before the team ultimately traded Jerry Jeudy early in free agency, Sutton had also been named as a player that Sean Payton was willing to move on from. Jeudy was moved first, in a trade to the Browns, and Sutton remains.

But given his current contract situation, he looks to be playing hardball this offseason already.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that the veteran receiver skipped voluntary workouts, which isn't a big deal nor uncommon. However, he noted that Sutton is only set to make $2 million this season in guaranteed money, which might be a motivating factor for him not to show up since he likely wants an extension.

Because he hasn't formally requested a trade, and little information has been released about his stance with the team, this remains all speculative.

But where there's smoke, there's fire. So this could be another player for the Patriots to look into, especially after recording one of his best seasons in 2023.

More Patriots coverage: