The Los Angeles Chargers might make a trade under new general manager Joe Hortiz, but it looks like that will not be for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
According to Matt Maiocco, who covers the 49ers for NBC Sports, the wide receiver was given permission to talk to four teams regarding a trade: The Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Washington Commanders, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Per the same report, the two frontrunners with trade frameworks in place are the Browns and Patriots.
Not included, of course, are the Chargers.
Why the 49ers did not seem to allow Aiyuk to explore a move to the Chargers is unknown. Whether the Chargers were ever interested is also not known, though it did appear as if Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman were happy to move forward with their existing wide receiver corps the whole time.
The Chargers may explore the trade market or free agency to jumpstart their offense. Per team reporter Eric Smith, Harbaugh was mixed on the performance of the operation on offense with Justin Herbert out. On the offense’s performance on Monday, which followed a lackluster showing against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday:
Offensively, we have to keep chipping away at it. Overall as a group, maybe it was heavy legs or lethargic a little bit. Just not as mentally sharp as I would have liked it. Go in, go back, go measure it and keep striving to be better.
Look for the Chargers to make a move at backup quarterback if the offense continues to struggle to move with Easton Stick, Max Duggan, and Casey Bauman.
