The San Francisco 49ers are attempting to lengthen the contract of WR Brandon Aiyuk, but there are few reasons to be optimistic currently. Besides Aiyuk dropping mysterious, seemingly negative messages, one of the NFL’s most prominent insiders has added to the negative atmosphere.
On March 30, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo discussed the situation on TV. Essentially, the 49ers have a lot of work to do for an extension.
“It’s somewhat of a standoff right now,” Garafolo said. “Now look, this is not where the Deebo Samuel situation was, and as dire as that got with Samuel essentially requesting a trade, they were still able to resolve that. So let’s not panic here, let’s not freakout, and maybe if it gets to the point where some offseason workouts and OTA’s and Brandon Aiyuk does the little finger emoji saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be walking the other way instead of going to those voluntary workouts.'”
The comparison to the Deebo negotiations is somewhat comforting. However, it is still not where the 49ers want to be by any means.
Aiyuk ‘Enjoys’ San Francisco
After the past two years, Aiyuk has established himself as one of the most productive deep threats in the NFL. While Samuel and Christian McCaffrey excel at the short range, Aiyuk has been the player chasing down long passes.
The 49ers really needed that. However, compensating that kind of player what they’re owed isn’t inexpensive. San Francisco has likely offered Aiyuk a substantial raise, but Garafolo’s report states that they haven’t met his demands.
“But he does love the 49ers from my understanding, and he knows this is a team that is taking care of guys when it’s their turn. There’s no reason he feels like he shouldn’t be next,” Garafolo said. “He believes he’s one of the top wide receivers in the league, so he expects to be compensated in that range. The 49ers are not quite there at this point, so I think we’ve got some time before this one gets resolved either way.”
They may be apart, but San Francisco has been relatively consistent in securing players to significant contracts.
49ers WR Believes He is a Top Receiver in NFL
On March 28, Aiyuk appeared on the podcast, “The Night Cap,” with NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson. When asked about his situation, Aiyuk explained why he feels entitled to a massive deal.
“I’m aiming to get what I merit. I feel like this season, this season playing football, I figured out who I was as a person and a player — what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization… The value I hold when I walk in that building. People gonna follow me because I’ve done it the right way since I’ve been in that building.” Aiyuk said. There’s no doubt that Aiyuk has been a reliable presence for
. Even during his first two seasons, Aiyuk never dropped below 800 total yards in a season. the 49ersAnd at just 26 years old, it seems like his best is yet to come.
The San Francisco 49ers are trying to extend WR Brandon Aiyuk, but there are few reasons to be optimistic at the moment.
