All of the talk about Brandon Aiyuk suiting up in a uniform other than the 49ers cooled after a good update in a meeting this week. Aiyuk's contract situation had the standout wide receiver bouncing around the NFL's rumor pages for trade destinations.
Aiyuk requested a meeting with the 49ers front office, and both sides came away from Monday's get-together with fuzzy feelings, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. Both sides agreed to keep working toward an extension, Pelissero reported Wednesday.
Aiyuk recently went to social media to state the 49ers “don't want me back.” Many times in the NFL that's the first step toward an amicable, or not, divorce. But on June 17, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported the 49ers did indeed want Aiyuk to return. That's when money got in the way.
Pelissero added all parties involved would like to take time to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday before resuming their work at hammering out a long-term pact.
One of the hot topics in the trade talk had Aiyuk headed to the nation's capital. ESPN's Adam Schefter said discussions brought listening ears from both sides of the table.
“Well listen, he played with Jayden Daniels,” Schefter said on NFL Live. “I'm sure the two would love to get together. There were some conversations at one point between the 49ers and the Commanders. The Commanders were interested, but they decided not to do that deal.”
Aiyuk responded to the news in a comment under an aggregated post of the report on Instagram, writing: “But I thought the Niners was never tryna trade me?”
A road back to happiness for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk?
Even before the 2024 NFL Draft, trade rumors floated about San Francisco's potential trade of Aiyuk. It seemed like an odd situation for a team so agonizingly close to a Super Bowl title. The 49ers lost 25-22 in overtime to Kansas City. And Aiyuk added a critical component to a dynamic offense that allowed the team to reach the sport's pinnacle contest.
So the new reporting that Aiyuk never requested a trade makes sense. The 49ers undoubtedly received reasonable offers, but why repair an unbroken offense? What makes the 49ers difficult to defend is unique talents like Aiyuk, along with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle.
Aiyuk is due $14.1 million in base salary for 2024. That's team friendly, for sure. It's the final season of his rookie deal after the club picked up his fifth-year option.
The production is clearly there for a big contract. Last year, Aiyuk dominated opposing defenses to the tune of 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He earned second-team All-Pro honors.
Aiyuk likely seeks to move into the neighborhood of players like Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions. St. Brown recently inked a four-year, $120 million extension.
The 25th overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, Aiyuk had success right from the start. In his rookie season, he dazzled with 60 catches for 748 yards and five touchdowns. In 2021, he spiced things up with 56 catches for 825 yards and five more scores.
Then Aiyuk exploded into star level in 2022, producing 78 catches for his first 1,000-yard season (1,015). Also, he had a career high with eight touchdown receptions.
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