Rumor has it.....
Right after the Superbowl, Aiyuk was asking for roughly St. Brown money
But the 49ers were like, "humm thats too much"
So the 49ers organization basically dragged their feet with negotiations
But the market actually went up when other WR's started getting signed recently
So now Aiyuk wants more than the St. Brown contract
But the 49ers want to pay him less than St. Brown
(Not sure how far off they are, but thats basically the benchmark)
49ers to Aiyuk: "Bruh you can sign this contract or play on your 5th year option for less money"
Aiyuk to 49ers: Nah I'm gonna keep going on social media to try & drum up some controversy to use as leverage
49ers to Aiyuk: "Welp we drafted WR Ricky Pearsall in the 1st round, so unless he gets hurt or looks bad in camp, we ain't gonna budge"
Aiyuk to 49ers: "Fuck that trade me"
49ers to Aiyuk: "We ain't trading you because we're still in our Superbowl window.....
You either sign the contract on the table
Or play on your 5th year option for less money, then hit the market next season
Or hold out half of this season & accumulate a ton of fines & lost game checks, then hit the market
Or wait to see if Ricky Pearsall looks like shit, & then we will budge
Sooooo what's it gonna be playa? Because mandatory camp starts next week"
Aiyuk's reported 49ers trade request has two likely outcomes
By Jennifer Lee Chan • Published 2 hours ago •Updated 1 hour ago
NBC Universal, Inc.normal “49ers Talk” co-hosts Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discuss why Brandon Aiyuk’s contract situation is different from other star player negotiations the 49ers have dealt with over the past five years.
Brandon Aiyuk
reportedly formally requested a trade from the 49ers after contract negotiations stalled in recent weeks, but the future of the All-Pro receiver still is likely to go down one of two paths.
As much as Aiyuk would like to remain in the Bay Area for his fifth NFL season, he wants compensation comparable to what other top wide receivers got during the offseason. If another franchise is able to make this a reality, Aiyuk is ready to relocate, but he is an expensive acquisition for any interested franchise.
A prospective team would need to offer a compensation package to the 49ers for their top targeted receiver last season that would likely need to include more than just a first-round draft pick. That team also would need to have the ability to pay Aiyuk more than what the San Francisco is offering, somewhere in the neighborhood of $28-30 million per year.
In the immediate aftermath of Aiyuk's trade request, the
49ers reportedly have "no intention" of dealing him elsehwere.
Here are two scenarios that are more likely to happen regarding Aiyuk’s future:
Agreement on an extension now
The 49ers over the last few years have been able to
procure extensions for their top playersclose to, or during training camp. George Kittle (2020), Fred Warner (2021), Deebo Samuel (2022) and Nick Bosa (2023) all reached agreements with San Francisco before Week 1 of the regular season.
San Francisco 49ers
General manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan want to keep players they have drafted and developed in house, and Aiyuk is no exception. They do have the ability to pay the Arizona State product now and could work out a deal that might include a higher signing bonus in order to stay under the salary cap while still preparing for Brock Purdy’s impending mega-contract in 2025.
If the two sides can come to an agreement, the wideout will happily report to team headquarters expeditiously to prepare for the 2024 season.
Playing under fifth-year option
If Aiyuk and the the 49ers can't reach an agreement, the wideout likely will be absent from training camp, but presumably expected to report for Week 1 of the regular season.
The All-Pro receiver is set to earn $14.1 million in his fifth NFL season, which amounts to more than the total of his previous four seasons combined ($12.5 million).
Aiyuk might not show up happy for the season without a contract extension in place, but he will want to play well in order to set himself up a mega multi-year contract ahead of the 2025 season.
The 49ers have the option of using the franchise tag on Aiyuk after the season is over, holding his rights and then working out an extension or a potential trade.
San Francisco also could force Aiyuk to play under the franchise tag in 2025, which would pay him the average of the top five salaries of 2024 at his position, netting him roughly $28-30 million for the single season.
No matter what transpires, Aiyuk will be playing somewhere in 2024 — most likely in the Bay Area. Eventually, he will receive one of the biggest contracts at his position, but it is just a matter of “when.”
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast