Fans of the Los Angeles Rams could rejoice a little this week after 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk officially demanded a trade on Tuesday. The news undoubtedly put San Francisco in a bind despite them having Aiyuk under contract for another year. While moving the wideout would be tough for SF, it could help the Rams take back the NFC West.

LA has not won the division since Matthew Stafford’s first season in Hollywood back in 2021. Meaning, now is the Rams’ best chance to capitalize while the 49ers are vulnerable. The Whiners might realistically endure a Super Bowl hangover this season and Brock Purdy could also see regression in his game without Aiyuk to throw to.

Purdy, who was wisely kept outside the top 10 of ESPN’s QB rankings, is a far better player with Aiyuk in the lineup. Aiyuk in return has excellent chemistry with the third-year signal caller. Young QBs need a security blanket to throw to and the Arizona State product is easily Purdy’s.

Since we’re on the subject of Purdy, he’ll be due for a massive extension pretty soon. Given the absurd rising costs of the quarterback market, SF will have to pay him sooner rather than later. I don’t envision the team will be able stay together much longer with the high-priced Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa also on the roster. Last year’s Super Bowl run might’ve been the 49ers’ last best chance to secure a Lombardi Trophy with this core.

Of course right now, the Niners say they won’t trade Aiyuk. The only way a Super Bowl contender would consider moving their best receiver in the middle of their championship window is if they got an offer they couldn’t possibly refuse (Godfather style). Something along the lines of what the Titans got in return for AJ Brown could do the trick.

Now while everything is hilariously all gloom and doom in the Bay Area, the 49ers continue to have one hell of a team in place. Remove Aiyuk from the equation and San Francisco is still one of the top teams in the conference. BOO! Rookie first-rounder Ricky Pearsall could step up and become a solid contributor in Aiyuk’s absence. Deebo, while not on par receiving wise with his teammate, is an All-Pro weapon when healthy.

The 49ers are seemingly at their most vulnerable for the time being and them trading Brandon Aiyuk would be the cherry on top of the sundae for the Rams. LA’s odds of keeping up with SF increase if Aiyuk is traded. Assuming things continue going south, the Rams must capitalize on the opportunity to take back the NFC West.