Kyle Shanahan’s insistence on the 49ers retaining Brandon Aiyuk has undermined his leverage, opines Mike Silver.

In April 2023, when John Lynch was asked about rumored trade interest in Brandon Aiyuk, the San Francisco 49ers general manager made it clear he had no plans to deal the wide receiver without saying so explicitly.

Lynch confirmed that the 49ers “get calls” and emphasized that the team listens to those inquiries but doesn’t always act on them. He reiterated that any trade discussions would have to align with the team’s long-term goals,