San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is one of the next players in line for a massive contract extension. But, it certainly doesn’t sound like the big money will be coming from his current team.
There are already several players on the San Francisco 49ers who have contracts at the top of their positional group. That includes fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
While he and Brandon Aiyuk are a dominant duo, it is fair to wonder if they can realistically retain both long-term. Based on moves made this offseason, it seems that the team is aware of that harsh reality.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall out of Florida. This offseason, they also signed wide receiver Jauan Jennings to an extension worth up to $15.4 million, with $10.5 million guaranteed.
Those moves certainly hint at the team preparing for a change at wide receiver sooner rather than later. Could a move be in the works centered around Brandon Aiyuk?
Based on some recent comments he made, it certainly sounds like a change of scenery could be on the horizon. In a TikTok post with current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Aiuyk tells his former Arizona State teammate San Francisco doesn’t want him.
Via ESPN, “Aiyuk tells Daniels, “They said they don’t want me back.”
Daniels responds, “That’s it?”
“I swear,” Aiyuk said, prompting Daniels to shout, “My boy!”
Aiyuk wrote in the caption of the post, “Im laughing but im crying fr.”
Those comments can certainly be open to interpretation. Does Brandon Aiyuk mean that the San Francisco 49ers don’t want him for the 2024 season, or they don’t want to pay him the demands he has for his next contract?
Over the weekend, ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler reported that talks “have stalled a bit” between the two sides. It is hard to envision the team being able to make Aiyuk one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, which is likely what he is gunning for.
The 2024 season is the final one on his rookie contract, as he is set to play out the fifth-year option. For skipping the mandatory minicamp this offseason, Aiyuk has been fined $101,000.
The wide receiver market has been reset this season with the megadeals agreed to by Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jaylen Waddle. All four agreed to deals that pay at least $28.25 million annually, which could be the benchmark Brandon Aiyuk wants to reach.
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