(Image via Getty: Miami Dolphins logo and San Francisco 49ers logo)
Tua Tagovailoa is no longer with the Miami Dolphins. Neither is head coach Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins now have Jordan Love’s backup quarterback, Malik Willis, as their starter. He had a commendable 2025 season: 422 passing yards, three touchdowns, and a 145.5 passer rating in just four games.Willis’ receiving corps will be Malik Washington, Tahj Washington, and Theo Wease Jr. Miami lost receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Bo Nix-led Denver Broncos and released key wideout Tyreek Hill much before the new league year. To address these absences, the team acquired Tutu Atwell from Matthew Stafford-led Los Angeles Rams and Jalen Tolbert from Dak Prescott-led Dallas Cowboys in free agency.Despite these additions, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton projects San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk for the Dolphins.
Moton cites that Aiyuk could take the WR1 spot and notes the WR’s familiarity with offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik.
NFL Trade Rumors : Malik Willis’ Dolphins tied to 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
Slowik was San Francisco’s passing game specialist and coordinator in 2021 and 2022. These two years saw Aiyuk’s start-of-a-breakout projections: 56 receptions for 826 yards and five touchdowns in 2021, and 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. 2023 was his breakout season: 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
Moton reports that if anyone can help Niners WR get back on track as one of the league’s ascending receivers, it’s Slowik. Also, the current receiving corps behind Willis: Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and Malik Washington, have all not caught 50 passes or surpassed 610 receiving yards in a season.Willis would need a powerful weapon on the gridiron as it’d be his first-time, full-time starter season. He needs help in the passing game, and that’s where Aiyuk, an experienced veteran, comes into play.
The 28-year-old WR is in his prime. Moton reports that Miami has 11 draft picks, which gives them the flexibility to take a calculated risk on a wide receiver at his prime.Even Niners team owner and CEO Jed York said, “BA’s a talented guy. He’s a valuable asset that other people would want, and we’re going to make sure that we get value, and we bring talent into our building.”
San Francisco’s contract issues with Brandon Aiyuk
Spotrac projects the Arizona State alum to land a one-year, $12.3M contract, which gives him a $12.3M average annual salary.
He signed a four-year, $120M contract with San Francisco in 2024. They voided about $27M in guaranteed money from his 2026 contract after he stopped attending the team’s facility for his 2024 ACL injury rehab.“I’ve been coaching over 20 years, and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract’s been voided,” San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said via ESPN. “It’s extremely unusual. It takes a lot of things to get a contract voided.
I’ve never dealt with that in my career and been in any building that’s had that. It was unusual. But that’s stuff that I can’t get into right now.”
49ers may trade Dolphins projected wide receiver
The Niners now have Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans and Houston Texans WR Christian Kirk as their powerful weapons in the receivers room for QBs Brock Purdy and Mac Jones. They seem to have moved on…but Moton reports the 49ers will likely trade Aiyuk for a late-round pick before training camp.Though potential trade suitors may have doubts about how the veteran would fit into a new program after a period in which the Niners were unable to connect with him during his recovery. But maybe a new environment would help him communicate better. This is where Miami comes into the picture.Heavy Sports’ Dave Holcomb reports that for Willis’ development-sake, the Dolphins may have to add a veteran wideout with more experience before the regular season. The veteran could be Aiyuk. Would they sign him? Only time will tell…
