The San Francisco 49ers and Second Team All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are in the midst of a very ugly public dispute over his contract. Before the 2023 NFL season, the 49ers made the obvious decision to pick up his fifth-year option, which will pay him $14.1 million. He made a combined $12 million in his first four seasons in the NFL.
From the start of the offseason, which began the day after the Super Bowl for San Francisco, Aiyuk has made it abundantly clear that he absolutely will not play on his fifth-year option. Instead, he wants a contract extension that will make him one of the highest paid wide receivers in the NFL.
The San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk Did Not Make Much Progress on Contract Extension Talks
In the days and weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, the 49ers front office and Aiyuk’s representatives did not make much progress on a contract extension. The feeling surrounding the discussions was not good, and many believed that San Francisco would trade Aiyuk during the draft.
And they did have offers.
But general manager John Lynch did not like the return packages offered for their Second Team All-Pro, so the decision was made to keep working on an extension.
The problem was that, according to Aiyuk, there was very little work being done. As talks ceased, the wide receiver claimed that he was informed by the team that they did not want him anymore. He commented publicly that he could see himself playing for the Washington Commanders or Pittsburgh Steelers.
Still, Aiyuk refused to ask for a trade, reiterating his desire to play in San Francisco. That all changed, though, when training camp started.
San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk Has Turned Down 2 Trades Already
Aiyuk reported to training camp to avoid the mandatory $50,000 daily fine that comes with holding out but has refused to participate in practice until his contract is done. However, when the 49ers refused to change their offer, he requested a trade.
San Francisco, in turn, granted him permission to negotiate contract extensions with other teams.
As of this writing, the Second Team All-Pro has already turned down contract offers from two teams. The first was the New England Patriots, who were offering him $30 million a year. Aiyuk turned down their offer due to his concerns over their quarterback situation.
The second team Aiyuk turned down was the Cleveland Browns and a trade that would have netted San Francisco Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper in return. He turned this trade down due to the simple fact that he does not want to play in Cleveland.
The San Francisco 49ers Have an Offer for Brandon Aiyuk from the Pittsburgh Steelers
Aiyuk’s rejection of Cleveland and New England have left just two teams left vying for his services: the 49ers and the Steelers. Recently, the disgruntled wide receiver sent San Francisco an ultimatum: pay me or trade.
According to reports, he wants the 49ers to match what the Steelers are offering. This offer was recently revealed by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated:
“The Steelers’ offer was around $28 million per year that several other receivers (DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown) got this offseason. They’re stable, with a Super Bowl-winning head coach, but haven’t won at the level the Niners have of late, and don’t have geographic appeal, either.
“The question then becomes, to me, is whether they can meet Aiyuk’s number, and feel like all that he’s gone through to get here is worth it—because the last thing you’d want is to have is a player who believes he’s been squeezed by the team.”
By this point, it is common knowledge that the 49ers have offered Aiyuk $26 million a season. If $2 million is the only difference between the two contracts, a deal between the wide receiver and San Francisco should be done soon.
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