The Patriots’ 2024 season will not be remembered very fondly, and unfortunately, that began early in Jerod Mayo’s tenure. Not only was disaster on the horizon early in the offseason, but the new regime’s difficulty in acquiring the caliber of players the team needed to be competitive again was apparent, with even some declining to be traded to New England, regardless of what they were willing to pay.

That was the case when it came to their wide receiver search, prompting their all-in approach in trading for 49ers’ star Brandon Aiyuk. He was up for a contract extension, and after an ongoing battle with the team, he was permitted to seek a trade. That opened the door for the Patriots to offer a massive payday to bring him to Foxboro, only for Aiyuk to decline that opportunity in favor of other teams.

That then forced the Patriots to withdraw their offer, and eventually Aiyuk re-signed with the 49ers instead. It was a bad look for the Patriots’ brass, as they were once a team players hoped to hear from.

However, it now appears that there might be another opportunity for Aiyuk, based on his latest comments, which aren’t particularly favorable about his current team.

Brandon Aiyuk sounds like he still has some hostility toward the 49ers that could lead to a blockbuster trade

Since suffering an ACL injury last season, Aiyuk has documented his rehabilitation process on his YouTube channel. It has given fans a behind-the-scenes look into what an NFL player goes through, which includes some drama that unfolds despite not playing the game.

Aiyuk spoke about the rumors regarding the 49ers’ interest in trading him after his injury, finally breaking his silence in a community post on his YouTube page. He expressed disbelief that his team would even consider making such a move, given he was in the midst of his recovery, which seems to hint that a trade could still be on the horizon, at least from his point of view.

Regarding the Niners’ side, they seem to be impressed with how his recovery process has gone, and John Lynch spoke highly of what they expect from Aiyuk during the 2025 season.

“Brandon’s doing a tremendous job coming back. These guys that are incredibly skilled athletes, they tend to heal a lot faster. It’s kind of incredible how well he’s healing, and he’s putting in the work. We’re proud of Brandon, and we’re looking forward to him being part of this team moving forward.”

That would seemingly shut down any idea of a trade, but teams have said plenty of things before and eventually traded the player they once declared untouchable. So nothing is off the table for the Patriots if they want to inquire again.

The idea of the Patriots trading for a superstar receiver has continued to be a topic of conversation, even after signing Stefon Diggs, especially when Tee Higgins seemed available. Aiyuk has been a part of the chatter, as well, and if the other receivers on the 49ers rise to the occasion, they might steal the spotlight from him way before he returns to the field.

It could be a proposition that Eliot Wolf and Co. revisit if they still believe Aiyuk could bring value to the Patriots, despite recovering from an ACL injury similar to Diggs’. He could be a building block for the future, and the 49ers might be more inclined to trade him now than they ever have.