The San Francisco 49ers have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. Their offense, especially, boasts several All-Pro and Pro Bowl players. Brock Purdy is widely regarded as one of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks in the NFL. Entering his third season, he has already helped lead San Francisco on two NFL Playoffs runs, including an appearance in the last Super Bowl.
They also have noteworthy targets for Purdy in the passing game, including All-Pro tight end George Kittle and All-Pro wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
Of course, the 49ers also have arguably the best running back in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey, whom they just signed to a massive extension.
The San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk Have Had Ongoing Contract Extension Negotiations
Ever since the 49ers lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, Aiyuk has made it known that he wants to stay in San Francisco, but also wants to be paid like one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Last season, he had 75 receptions for 1,374 yards and seven touchdowns while being named Second Team All-Pro.
As his contract negotiations have been ongoing, Aiyuk himself has decided to hold out from team activities until he gets the contract that he wants. He has already missed OTA’s and mandatory minicamp as a result of this decision.
Furthermore, Aiyuk has also openly stated (to former college teammate Jayden Daniels, who now plays for the Washington Commanders) that he does not believe that the 49ers want him back. He also said on a different occasion that he could see himself playing for the Commanders or Pittsburgh Steelers this upcoming year.
Obviously, talks between Aiyuk and San Francisco have not gone well. One NFL analyst believes that the 49ers should have done the right thing a long time ago and just paid him.
NFL Analyst Puts the San Francisco 49ers On Blast for Not Appreciating Brandon Aiyuk
In an article in which he names the most underappreciated player on every NFL team, CBS Sports‘ Jeff Kerr listed Aiyuk as the 49ers’ most undervalued player. He wrote:
“The 49ers have not given Aiyuk a contract extension yet, but this should have been taken care of months ago. Aiyuk proved in 2023 he’s the best wide receiver on the 49ers after having the best season of his career.
“Aiyuk is the first player in 49ers’ history with 55+ catches, 740+ yards and 5+ touchdowns in each of his first four seasons. He’s 11th in receiving yards (2,357), 16th in yards per catch (15.4) and tied for 11th in receiving touchdowns (15) over the last two seasons — all while being the No. 2 wideout on a stacked 49ers roster.
“Playing under the fifth-year option on his rookie deal at $14.124 million, Aiyuk is worth significantly more than what he’ll make this season. With the wide receiver market booming, Aiyuk deserves to get a hefty raise — from the 49ers or someone else.”
Aiyuk wants $30 million per season, similar to what Amon-Ra St. Brown got from the Detroit Lions. The 49ers, on the other hand, want to give him $26 million per year.
It has yet to be seen which side will prevail in their contract negotiations, but Kerr is right about one thing: if San Francisco will not pay him, someone else will.
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