The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most notable teams to watch this offseason. Part of this is because of a contract dispute with WR Brandon Aiyuk.
Many people were curious as to whether he would get a massive contract extension like other notable wide receivers and teammate Christian McCaffrey did this offseason. However, things appear to have taken a drastic turn. You will not believe what Aiyuk just revealed about his current situation with the 49ers.
Brandon Aiyuk Says San Francisco 49ers “Don’t Want Me Back”
This morning, a viral TikTok video of Brandon Aiyuk was posted of him on a video call with Washington Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels. In the video, it appears that Aiyuk is discussing his current situation with the 49ers. Then, he told Daniels this shocking update:
“They said they don’t want me back… I swear.” -Brandon Aiyuk
Challenging Contract Situation
Aiyuk is in the middle of a challenging contract situation. San Francisco currently picked up the club option in 2024 for Aiyuk that will result in him getting paid just over $14 million. However, this means Aiyuk is an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
He is viewed as one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL. However, this offseason, the market for elite wide receivers has reset. It has gone as high as $35 million annually for wide receivers such as Justin Jefferson. Given this information, Aiyuk has the right to feel that he is being underpaid.
On top of this, the 49ers may have a complicated salary cap situation approaching. As mentioned above, the team just awarded RB Christian McCaffrey a lucrative contract extension. Then, they will likely have to pay QB Brock Purdy much more money than he currently makes. For reference, Purdy currently makes less than a million dollars annually and some of the top quarterbacks in the NFL make over $50 million annually.
San Francisco 49ers Moving Forward
What does this all mean for the 49ers? The team may hope this is a silly offseason distraction. San Francisco likely has about two more years before salary cap becomes a serious problem.
This could mean the window to win a Super Bowl is closing. Last year, they came up short in the big game. Now, they may have to face the reality of breaking up their core if Aiyuk’s TikTok claim is true.
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