Who Should I Start? Alex Bachman or Brandon Aiyuk

Thursday, January 23, 10:45 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders re-signed wide receiver Alex Bachman to a Reserve/Futures deal on Thursday. Bachman spent most of the 2024 season on the Raiders' practice squad, but he was active for six games (one start) and caught all three of his targets for 31 yards and no touchdowns -- all in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 28-year-old pass-catcher originally went undrafted out of Wake Forest but latched on with the New York Giants. He appeared in four games for the G-Men in 2020 and 2021 but was not targeted at all in the passing game while receiving one carry for a loss of three yards in 2021. Bachman will continue his development with the Black and Silver this offseason and through training camp this summer as he looks to make the active 53-man roster for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.

Monday, March 31, 3:16 PM

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers are not expected to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee). The sixth-year pro will be due a bonus of $22.85 million on Tuesday if he is on the team's roster. Aiyuk exploded in 2023 with a 75-1,342-7 line and signed a four-year $120 million contract extension as a reward. However, a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of 2024 cut his season short, though it's worth noting he wasn't overly productive before the injury. The 49ers have already flipped one star wideout this offseason, sending Deebo Samuel Sr. to the Washington Commanders, so it is in the team's best interest to hold Aiyuk despite the hit to their cap. There is still no timetable for the 27-year-old's return, but he recently got good reviews regarding his recovery. He'll compete with teammates George Kittle and Jauan Jennings for targets when he's healthy.