Despite their desire to get a deal done, the San Francisco 49ers still aren't close to coming to terms with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on a contract extension, according to ESPN (via Bleacher Report). Aiyuk was reportedly on the trading block prior to and during the NFL Draft, but the 49ers did not pull the trigger.
The 49ers picked up Aiyuk's fifth-year option last spring that would pay him $14.1 million (all guaranteed) for the 2024 season. Aiyuk clearly wants a new deal, though, and the 49ers -- based on ESPN's report along with the fact that they haven't traded Aiyuk yet -- want to keep him in tow for the foreseeable future.
"I'm doing everything in my power to keep our roster together," 49ers general manager John Lynch said on the "Pat McAfee Show" earlier this month. "That's my goal, and I don't question that. When you talk about guys like Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo (Samuel), those are guys that we drafted, and we take a lot of pride in what they've become and who they've become. We couldn't be more proud of those guys. And so, during the course of drafts and offseasons, do conversations happen? Absolutely, they do. (But) we're past that now."
As Lynch said, the 49ers want to keep their current core -- one that helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl -- intact for multiple more years. But it's clear now that money has now become an obstacle.
At this point, it appears that Aiyuk will be a 49er in 2024, given the fact that he is under contract and San Francisco's desire to keep its nucleus together for as long as it can. But that could change if Aiyuk decides to play the 49ers' hand by holding out.
If they decide to trade him, the 49ers won't be devoid of interested teams. The Steelers, for one, have been repeatedly linked as a potential landing spot for either Aiyuk or fellow 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel. Pittsburgh was reportedly interested in trading for Samuel during the draft but elected not to match the 49ers' asking price.
It's safe to say that Aiyuk will be paid handsomely whenever he gets his new contract done. The 26-year-old is coming off of a career year that saw him rack up 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
