One of the biggest storylines for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason has been the status of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Entering his fifth season in the league, his future with the team is up in the air.
Aiyuk is seeking a long-term extension, but to this point, the 49ers have not been willing to pay him what he wants. Fitting another massive contract on their books will prove difficult, especially with Deebo Samuel already being paid a hefty amount.
With quarterback Brock Purdy still earning pennies, the time to spend for San Francisco is now. But, there is a limit to what teams can spend, and with a Purdy extension around the corner, the team knows some difficult decisions will need to made.
Will Aiyuk be with the 49ers for the 2024 season and beyond? It is anyone’s guess at this point, but the 49ers do have a contingency plan in place no matter what happens.
With their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, San Francisco selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. In the opinion of Trevor Sikkema of PFF, that was the best decision the 49ers made during the 2024 offseason.
“Perhaps some felt that drafting wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was overkill for the 49ers’ receiver room or was done so in a way that may have alienated Brandon Aiyuk, but the move was brilliant.
At that point in the draft, wide receiver was the best talent value. By drafting Pearsall, San Francisco gave itself backup if Aiyuk did end up being traded. And if Aiyuk was back in the fold, they’d have an even deeper and more talented offense. Pearsall can play all three receiver spots with skill, speed and toughness,” Sikkema wrote.
With so much uncertainty surrounding Aiyuk’s future with the team, it made a lot of sense to select Pearsall. At the very least, the 49ers now have an elite insurance policy should a trade materialize centered around the Arizona State product.
If Aiyuk remains, Kyle Shanahan has yet another versatile piece to add to his already explosive offense. As Sikkema noted, Pearsall can play all three wide receiver spots and excel in each.
Last season with Florida, Pearsall caught 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns. He added three rushes for 62 yards and two more scores, surpassing the 1,000-yard plateau for total yards for the first time in his collegiate career.
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