It was one of the most poorly kept secrets of the NFL offseason that several teams were actively pursuing 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Among those interested were the Cleveland Browns, who had been linked to Aiyuk for the past month before he ultimately signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension to remain with San Francisco last week.
Following Aiyuk’s decision to stay with the 49ers, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer disclosed new details about Cleveland’s offer for the 26-year-old receiver. As previously reported, the proposal included star wideout Amari Cooper. Breer wrote in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column that “the Cleveland Browns were also in the mix.” He noted that the 49ers had requested second- and fifth-round draft picks, along with Cooper, in exchange for Aiyuk. However, the logistics were challenging for Cleveland, as they had already given Cooper an $18.79 million signing bonus as part of his contract restructure. Despite this, Cleveland was reportedly willing to offer Aiyuk a three-year deal instead of a four-year extension, with a very competitive salary.
In the end, the Browns missed out on acquiring Aiyuk, but not before news broke that Cooper had been part of the trade discussions. Cooper responded on his Instagram story, saying he “wouldn’t mind at all.” Despite the situation, it never became a distraction for Cooper or the team.
In his first two seasons with Cleveland, Cooper made history as the first receiver in franchise history to achieve back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons. After missing out on Aiyuk, the Browns will look to Cooper for similar performance in 2024.
