The San Francisco 49ers and All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk were in contract talks throughout the offseason. Things seemingly didn’t go in a great direction, leading to the former first-round pick holding out from mandatory minicamp. He’s also holding in from training camp.
Aiyuk, 26, also requested a trade from the 49ers as he seeks a lucrative long-term contract. Heading into Week 1 against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets, there are not a lot of positives to report on this end.
“The situation has gotten really sticky. The receiver market ballooning into the $30 million neighborhood has complicated talks,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported over the weekend. “The 49ers have not shown a willingness to pay Aiyuk what he thinks he’s worth, and negotiations hadn’t intensified lately, last I had checked.”
It had been noted that Aiyuk is looking for a deal similar to the four-year, $120 million contract extension Amon-Ra St. Brown signed with the Detroit Lions this past spring.
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Contract talks between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers are complicated
The backdrop here is real. San Francisco has some of the highest-paid players at their respective positions in the NFL.
That includes Nick Bosa ($34 million per season), Deebo Samuel ($23.85 million), Trent Williams ($23 million), Javon Hargrave ($21 million), Fred Warner ($19 million), Christian McCaffrey ($19 million) and George Kittle ($15 million).
Williams is currently a holdout from camp. He’s seeking more money after other star left tackles received huge deals recently. Meanwhile, quarterback Brock Purdy will become the highest-paid player in NFL history next offseason.
The NFL is hard-capped. Paying Aiyuk north of $30 million per season might not be reasonable for the 49ers from a financial prespective. Hence, why things are complicated on this front.