Raiders told they should be ‘all over’ pairing troubled $120m 49ers receiver with Fernando Mendoza

The Las Vegas Raiders will hope that 2026 is the start of a new era in Sin City.

They ‘cut the ribbon’ on this vision at the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting emotional quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick.

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The Raiders have also invested heavily in the free agent market this offseason, highlighted by the addition of former Raven Tyler Linderbaum, whom they made the highest paid center in NFL history.

However, there is a feeling from the outside looking in that the Silver and Black are missing a piece of the puzzle.

Despite the offseason addition of wide receiver Jalen Nailor, who plans to mentor Mendoza, the Raiders wide receiver room still feels incredibly thin.

Tre Tucker and tight end Brock Bowers led the team in receiving yards in 2025, but neither surpassed the 700 mark.

There’s one potential WR1 on the trade market, but it comes with a major risk, and that is San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk.

49ers on Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn has urged the Raiders to investigate a potential deal for Aiyuk.

“The Raiders should be all over this because they have no wide receiver,” Cohn said.

“But they do have a tight end, a running back, a quarterback, and a play caller. So why not give him a chance to actually compete this year as opposed to just tanking for another year?

“Get Brandon Aiyuk if he’s available. You could renegotiate his contract.

“You could do a lot of things, but I think that would make sense for them.

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“Otherwise, Mendoza is going to struggle this year [and] you can only throw to [Brock] Bowers so many times.”

Aiyuk didn’t take the field for a single snap in 2025 as he was recovering from a knee injury he suffered in 2024.

His recovery didn’t go according to the projected timeline and tensions between Aiyuk and the franchise grew.

Raiders warned about potential Aiyuk-Diggs baggage

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan signaled that the organization had all but moved on from one of the most talented but troubled receivers in the league, and yet, Aiyuk remains a 49er.

Aiyuk, who is currently playing under a 4-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers that he signed in August 2024, has reportedly been in contact with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, and it’s thought that the nation’s capital is his preferred destination.

Las Vegas have also been linked to free agent Stefon Diggs after he was released by the New England Patriots at the start of the offseason.

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Diggs will have his fair share of suitors, though, and has already been linked with a move to the Los Angeles Rams.

However, if the Raiders were to swoop in and acquire Aiyuk from the Niners, it’s safe to say that they have been warned.

“Because you have such a young, impressionable team in the locker room, the last thing you need to bring in is a distraction,” former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy said on the Raiders Squad Show.

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