49ers showed interest in Vikings’ Justin Jefferson in the wake of the Brandon Aiyuk saga

According to reports, the 49ers have been considering several possible successors to Brandon Aiyuk amid uncertainty surrounding the wide receiver this offseason.

Before San Francisco ended the stalemate in Aiyuk’s contract and gave the 26-year-old a four-year, $120 million contract extension, including $76 million guaranteed, the 49ers inquired about both Justin Jefferson of the Vikings and Jakobi Meyers of the Raiders.

According to ESPN, the 49ers inquired about Jefferson’s availability before this year’s NFL Draft, but the Vikings “had no interest in trading the star wide receiver and immediately turned San Francisco down.”

According to the report, the Jets and Colts also had some interest in Jefferson, but Minnesota was only interested in re-signing the three-time Pro Bowler.

Jefferson finally became the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history in June after signing a record four-year, $140 million contract with the Vikings that includes $110 million in guaranteed compensation.

The 49ers received the same response from the Raiders, who rejected requests to trade Meyers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Meyers was an interesting option as he would have been a cheaper alternative to Aiyuk considering the NC State product signed a three-year, $33 million deal with Las Vegas in March 2023.

There was a moment when it was unclear which team Aiyuk would play for this season.

Sports Illustrated reported that the Steelers nearly signed Aiyuk, who had a breakout season, recording 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns en route to the 49ers’ Super Bowl appearance.

Aiyuk ultimately stayed there, but the former first-round pick did not have a good start to the 2024 season.

After dropping two passes, including a potential touchdown, and gaining just 28 yards on two catches in San Francisco’s season-opening win over the Jets, Aiyuk is now under pressure to step up his performance in the absence of star running back Christian McCaffrey.

Jefferson’s Vikings host Aiyuk and the 49ers on Sunday afternoon.