- Aiyuk is set to depart San Francisco: General manager John Lynch said in his end-of-season press conference that Aiyuk has likely “played his last snap” after apparent roadblocks cropped up while the wide receiver recovered from injury this season.
- Are the Cowboys a sneaky fit? If Jerry Jones can’t retain George Pickens, then perhaps Aiyuk could slot in next to CeeDee Lamb and keep the Cowboys’ offense rolling.
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When your general manager broadcasts that you have “played [your] last snap” with the team, it’s probably safe to begin determining that player’s best landing spots.
As outlined in our “Dynasty Reclamation Projects” piece, Aiyuk is worth buying (at the right price). For all the headaches he has caused the 49ers, he’s been a dynamic wide receiver with improved receiving yardage in every season until 2024.
Aiyuk’s 2022 and 2023 seasons landed him as the WR15 and WR13, respectively. Across those two campaigns, he logged an elite 91.2 PFF receiving grade (sixth among qualifying wide receivers) and racked up 2,493 receiving yards — the ninth most in the NFL over the span.
The problem is that those two seasons feel like nothing but frayed memories. At the time of publishing, it has been more than 460 days since Aiyuk last took an NFL snap. And now, he’s looking for a new team.
But where is best for him to land?
We’re going to be considering a few factors here. First, while this is a fantasy football article, we’ll be trying to base these moves in reality. Of course, it would be great to see Aiyuk on the Kansas City Chiefs or the Seattle Seahawks.
Are those landing spots realistic, given the potential risk and maybe the salary he and his representatives will try to negotiate? Probably not.
Second, obviously, we need to take into account a team’s needs. Who needs pass-catching support? Who feels they can take the risk on an obviously talented player who has bristled against management in his current location?
Finally, these aren’t in order of ranking.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders’ receiving corps is in a state of repair. As a group, Las Vegas’ pass catchers logged a 63.0 PFF receiving grade for the 2025 regular season, 28th in the NFL.
Tre Tucker paced the team in targets (90) and receiving yards (696). He was a useful part of the passing attack, but the unit needs to add some juice, especially if the team drafts quarterback Fernando Mendoza in April.
Aiyuk would be an immediate upgrade to the group and offer a good complement to tight end superstar Brock Bowers (82.2 PFF receiving grade in 2025). Even in a disappointing and injury-shortened 2024, Aiyuk’s 74.1 PFF receiving grade would have ranked second on the Raiders this season — behind the aforementioned Bowers.
Aiyuk’s 14.6 career yards per catch would also give the Raiders’ offense more verticality in the passing attack. Las Vegas averaged just 11.7 yards per reception in 2025, 26th in the NFL. And while that is ahead of the Broncos, Denver’s pass catchers generated 0.073 EPA per play, while the Raiders’ averaged -0.152.
Tennessee Titans
I promise this is not just the lowest-graded pass-catching units. The Titans’ receiving corps graded out even worse than the Raiders’, and Aiyuk would be a great start to turning things around.
That’s not the only reason why the team could use Aiyuk. Honestly, even if he went to Nashville, the Titans may well add a playmaker through the draft or free agency to give Cam Ward some pieces to jell with on offense.
Ward’s 540 pass attempts this season were the eighth most in the NFL, and the 309 targets his wide receivers accounted for ranked 15th in the league. And yet, the production was dismal. Only the Raiders (seven) and the Browns (four) had fewer touchdowns scored by wide receivers than Tennessee (nine, also tied with the Giants and the Vikings).
In short, Cam Ward needs help.
Rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike are fun, diverse pieces, but neither showed that they can be a true target hog. It also remains to be seen if Calvin Ridley is on the roster come 2026 following a disappointing and injury-hit 2025.
Aiyuk could slot into the offense and immediately be the No. 1 target for Ward, and the duo could grow together as new head coach Robert Saleh molds the squad to his vision.
And Saleh is the wildcard here. Coming from San Francisco, perhaps he has a different view of what happened with Aiyuk. At the very least, he is privy to important context to the situation. It could offer a soft landing for Aiyuk.
Los Angeles Chargers
Questions surround the Chargers’ wide receiver room. Keenan Allen‘s 118 targets paced the team this season, closely followed by Ladd McConkey‘s 102.
If Allen decides to continue his stellar playing career, it will probably be back with the Chargers. But in what would be his age-34 season, he may lack dynamism. Los Angeles also has a decision to make regarding Quentin Johnston’s fifth-year option.
Aiyuk could help give the passing attack more juice, which would also be a fantasy boost for quarterback Justin Herbert.
Jim Harbaugh’s squad registered 88 explosive (15-plus yards) passing plays in 2025, 23rd in the NFL. Of the 26 wide receivers who notched at least 100 targets, McConkey ranked 25th and Allen ranked 19th in yards per route run (1.40 and 1.66, respectively).
Perhaps Jim Harbaugh is also the sort of coach to get the best out of Aiyuk on a personal level. The former 49ers head coach has proved to be a strong culture setter and would surely welcome Aiyuk into the fold.
Dallas Cowboys
You want to get nuts? Let’s get nuts. How confident are we in Jerry Jones’ ability to lock up George Pickens for the long term?
The former Steeler was named a second-team All-Pro this season, a career first. It’s the rightful recognition for the Cowboys’ best receiver in 2025 — which is no slight to CeeDee Lamb, who battled injuries and still played well.
Pickens is going to be significantly richer at some point in 2026. It just remains to be seen which owner is signing the checks.
If Pickens walks, then Aiyuk should step in. His stock is arguably at its lowest, given how his 49ers tenure has played out, so any draft and dollar value would be significantly depressed. It’s the sort of move Jones would seriously consider.
We’ve already seen what Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense can do when two Pro Bowl-caliber (or All-Pro-caliber) receivers are in the lineup. And the offense was one of the few bright spots for Dallas in an otherwise turbulent season.
The Cowboys’ passing attack ranked fifth in the NFL in PFF passing grade (83.9), EPA per play (0.164) and positive EPA percentage (50.7%). And that all came with them having the second-most passing attempts (676) in the league, behind only the Arizona Cardinals.
Prescott was often dealing when at the controls, tossing 31 big-time throws — the second most in the league (tied with Bo Nix), behind only Matthew Stafford.
If Aiyuk is tied to a quarterback and an offense that loves to air it out more than almost any other team, then it could spell big business for fantasy owners — and Aiyuk personally.
