The San Francisco 49ers are going into the 2024 season as one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl (again). Most NFL analysts believe they still have one of the most complete rosters in the league.
It is no secret, however, that Aiyuk was a huge part of their success. His future has been in doubt from the moment the Super Bowl ended. Most fans and analysts knew he was going to want a new deal before the next season.
One report made sense about his future with the 49ers just being much more clear.
Brandon Aiyuk’s Future With The San Francisco 49ers Just Became Clear
As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was in Santa Clara on July 30 and 31, George Kittle talked about the 49ers’ transition without Aiyuk:
“BA, we’d love to have him out there, understand what he’s going through. I don’t know if it’s hard for us to build our identity [without them], but what it does allow us to do is let these [other] guys take opportunities they would not have gotten if he was out there.
And hey, it’s more targets for me and Christian [McCaffrey] and Deebo [Samuel] so far, so we’re having a good time.”
In Fowler’s opinion, Aiyuk’s situation is sticky, and they remain at odds:
While there’s much to be done on that front, Williams is too important to what they do, despite his age (36). As is Aiyuk, of course. Not many receivers get more separation than him. But the situation has gotten really sticky. The receiver market ballooning into the $30 million neighborhood has complicated talks. 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.
With Aiyuk holding firm to his pay-me-or-trade-me stance, maybe those trade calls San Francisco is receiving will prove enticing at some point. Trading Aiyuk would make paying Williams infinitely easier. Then there’s this big-picture issue: The 49ers have seven players earning $15 million to $34 million per year, with others just beneath that floor.
And in talking to people here, San Francisco understands that a thoughtful reset of its salary cap will be necessary at some point. This process essentially started in March, when the 49ers released Arik Armstead and used some of that money on two-year deals for linemen Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Maliek Collins.
Oh, and the 49ers have to budget for Purdy’s massive deal to come — as soon as next offseason.
So the 49ers aren’t just making a stand on the receiver market and Aiyuk’s place in it. They are making difficult choices that could affect spending flexibility for future years.
From the sounds of it, there isn’t a world where the 49ers can pay both Williams and Aiyuk what they want. Prioritizing your quarterback’s blindside may come before your second best wide receiver.
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