The ongoing contract negotiations between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers has been the longest-running storyline of the NFL offseason. Just one day after the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, Aiyuk’s girlfriend posted a video on social media of the couple leaving Levi’s Stadium for what she said could be the last time. “We don’t know if we’ll be back here next year,” she stated.
This, of course, came as a shock to 49ers fans because San Francisco had, long ago, made the decision to pick up Aiyuk’s fifth-year option. The 2023 Second Team All-Pro wide receiver, though, wants a big contract extension now.
San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk Wants a Massive Contract Extension
Since that video was posted the day after the Super Bowl, Aiyuk has made it well-known that he wants to be one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. Contract negotiations, however, have not made much progress. So stalled did they become leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft that many believed Aiyuk would be traded before the first round.
Of course, no trade occurred, and negotiations are still ongoing. In the meantime, the Detroit Lions gave Amon-Ra St. Brown a four-year $120 million contract, and the Minnesota Vikings gave Justin Jefferson a four-year $140 million deal.
Aiyuk wants to be paid $30 million a year, like St. Brown in Detroit. Here is how their career production compares (keep in mind, Aiyuk has been playing for a year longer than St. Brown):
| Brandon Aiyuk | Amon-Ra St. Brown | |
| Receptions | 269 | 315 |
| Receiving Yards | 3,931 | 3,588 |
| Touchdowns | 25 | 21 |
The 49ers, on the other hand, want to pay up to $26 million a year.
The standoff has been generating trade rumors for months, and Aiyuk’s own words on podcasts and in other interviews naming teams he would like to play for have not done anything to slow them down.
One of his high-profile teammates, though, is not too worried.
San Francisco 49ers Tight End George Kittle Expects Brandon Aiyuk to Be on the Team in 2024
All-Pro tight end George Kittle has been through the contract negotiation process with the 49ers before. During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, he did not seem all too concerned about the All-Pro’s future in San Francisco:
“I think, if you look at my career, being a Forty-Niner, and the way most of the contracts have gone, I didn’t get signed until the second week of training camp, [WR] Deebo [Samuel] was pretty late [in 2022]. [DE Nick] Bosa was [right before] the first week of [last] season. That’s just how business is done out there.
“I’m not in the meetings. I have no idea [how negotiations are progressing]. I actually go out of my way to not talk to anybody going through contract negotiations, so when people ask me questions, I have absolutely no idea. But, I’m not concerned about it.
“Aiyuk’s a phenomenal football player who’s a big part of our offense, and he’s one of the most complete receivers that I’ve ever played with. So I’m gonna assume that Aiyuk’s gonna be on our team by the time the season starts.”
It is interesting to note that Kittle does not say that Aiyuk will be on the team with a new deal or not. It could be that the star wide receiver eventually agrees to play on his fifth-year option before looking for a big payday elsewhere in free agency in 2025.
In any case, the only person who has indicated that San Francisco does not want Aiyuk back is Aiyuk himself. All team personnel and his teammates have said time and time again that they want him back and they expect him to be on the team.
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