The NFL's wide receiver market may be booming, but that doesn't mean that every high profile wideout up for an extension around the league will be getting one. Sure, Justin Jefferson signed a colossal contract which is exactly what most people around the league expected, as did Amon-Ra St. Brown, DeVonta Smith, AJ Brown and Jaylen Waddle, but thus far, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is still awaiting his big payday. And based on where both he and the 49ers are in negotiations, he may have to continue waiting.
“I'm hearing their offer's in the $26 million range,” said NFL insider Mike Silver on the Papa & Lund podcast (h/t Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot). “It's certainly not Justin Jefferson money, nor should it be, but it's closer to that DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown — that next tier down.”
Mike Silver notes that Brandon Aiyuk is looking for a deal in the range of $30 million per year — $4 million higher than what the 49ers have offered — and so far, there has been no indication that either side is willing to budge. In fact, as time goes by, the situation only seems to be worsening. Aiyuk has been a holdout during all of the 49ers offseason team activities, which has resulted in fines that those around the team don't expect the 49ers to forgive if/when Aiyuk decides to return to the team.
Will the 49ers move on from Brandon Aiyuk?
John Lynch and the 49ers have played hardball with their superstars in the past, most notably with Nick Bosa last year, but we've yet to see an instance where San Francisco's hand was forced and a trade ended up being the result. But given the money that the 49ers have already put into their team — a nice big contract for Christian McCaffrey, with one eventually on the way for the super-cheap Brock Purdy — it's just not financially feasible that the 49ers can pay everybody.
That could mean that Brandon Aiyuk (or Deebo Samuel) is the expendable member of the 49ers offense, though the younger Aiyuk will garner a much higher asking price than Samuel would. In Deebo, McCaffrey, and tight end George Kittle, the Niners have a trio of players who have been named All-Pros, a distinction that Aiyuk earned for the first time last season. But with the additions of Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing in the NFL Draft, the 49ers could be setting themselves up for life without Aiyuk, who hauled in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns last season.
With or without Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers will be one of the favorites to win the NFC next season, but obviously folks in San Francisco will continue to hope that their budding superstar receiver will be along for the ride.
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