While the San Francisco 49ers have mostly been quiet about the Brandon Aiyuk contract situation, the star receiver continues to put public pressure on the team to pay him like the Pro Bowl-level talent he has become.
This has been an interesting offseason for the 49ers because the front office went into the preparation for 2024 looking to answer the question, “How do we improve a team that won the NFC title last season?” For the most part, due to the limitations of their cap space, they haven’t been able to do much, especially since they must prepare to hand out some big contracts in the future.
Aside from eventually having to fork over a boatload to burgeoning star quarterback Brock Purdy, general manager John Lynch has a huge problem on his hands with Brandon Aiyuk. The former first-round pick has improved so quickly over the last two seasons that a case can be made he has blown by Deebo Samuel to become the team’s No. 1 receiver.
- Brandon Aiyuk stats (2023): 75 catches, 1,372 receiving yards, 7 TD, 17.9 YPC
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However, Samuel received a huge extension before last season, plus defensive superstar Nick Bosa landed a large new deal in 2023 as well. That has put the team in a tough predicament with Aiyuk in the final year of his rookie deal and earning a huge pay raise. Making matters worse is the receiver has openly flirted with other teams and the idea of being traded so another franchise can pay him the money he is looking for.
On Thursday, Brandon Aiyuk put more pressure on the 49ers during an appearance on the “Nightcap” podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ocho Cino. After the former Bengals star claimed he deserved over $30 million a year, the 26-year-old explained why he has a unique value to the team that is deserving of a fat new contract.
“I’m trying to get what I deserve. 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,” he said. “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.
- Brandon Aiyuk contract: 5 years, $26.6 million (fully guaranteed)
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“From the first day, I walked in there to when I was in there earlier this morning. If they don’t see the worth in that, that’s all it is. It ain’t nothing else besides that. I can’t get into it. We got professionals working on both sides, so hopefully we can come to a professional agreement to continue playing professional football.”
Rumors still persist that the San Francisco 49ers could eventually move the talented pass catcher before the start of the 2024 NFL season.