The San Francisco 49ers may have made the Super Bowl last season, but that does not mean their roster is all happy right now.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk wants a new contract, which has been one of the biggest talking points for the 49ers this offseason and there is still not any resolution.
San Francisco Chronicle’s Mike Silver discussed the Aiyuk contract situation and the team’s most recent offer on KNBR.
“I’m hearing their offer is in the $26 million range, which certainly is not Justin Jefferson money – nor should it be – but it’s closer to that of DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, that next tier down.”
The salary cap situation for the 49ers is interesting after agreeing to a contract extension with running back Christian McCaffrey last week. Aiyuk did not appear in mandatory minicamp for the team and is subject to over $100,000 in fines for the three days.
Aiyuk is currently on the final year of his rookie contract, as the team exercised his fifth-year option for $14 million. It will be interesting to see if the two sides will agree to a deal or if the issues will remain as the preseason gets closer.
What should the San Francisco 49ers do with Brandon Aiyuk?
The 49ers’ situation is very interesting as they currently have multi-year deals with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and McCaffrey on the offensive side. They are also preparing for a contract discussion with quarterback Brock Purdy, who becomes eligible for an extension next offseason.
San Francisco needs to figure out the cap situation, and if the the Niners do not want to pay two wide receivers north of $25 million for the next few seasons, they can trade Aiyuk away for salary cap relief and obtain draft picks.
While Brandon Aiyuk is a special talent, the team has enough firepower offensively to move on from him if they choose to go that route.
The 26-year-old had a career season last year with 75 receptions on 105 targets for 1,342 yards (17.9 yards per catch) and seven receiving touchdowns. He was named a second-team All-Pro.
While his talent is there, it may be worth at least discussing a potential trade as the team is going to have other contracts coming up that need to be situated.
It will be an intriguing situation until there is more clarity on the situation as the 49ers remain in their window to be Super Bowl contenders.
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