The Brandon Aiyuk saga: Where things stand between the 49ers and the All-Pro WR two weeks from training camp
The saga surrounding Brandon Aiyuk's prospective long-term extension has overshadowed the entirety of the San Francisco 49ers' offseason. Two weeks out from veteran's reporting to training camp, when the 49ers typically look to finalize new contracts with star players, the two sides still do not have a deal. It has seemingly been a tempestuous negotiation […]
The saga surrounding Brandon Aiyuk's prospective long-term extension has overshadowed the entirety of the San Francisco 49ers' offseason.
Two weeks out from veteran's reporting to training camp, when the 49ers typically look to finalize new contracts with star players, the two sides still do not have a deal.
It has seemingly been a tempestuous negotiation between the Niners and their All-Pro wide receiver, who has led the team in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons.
So with the deadline the Niners usually set themselves on the horizon, let's look at where the land lies with San Francisco and Aiyuk as the 49ers' return to the practice field on July 23 edges ever closer.
Where things stand
At Aiyuk's request, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch met with the disgruntled wideout on June 26.
That meeting was reportedly a positive one that reaffirmed that neither side wants to part ways, but it seemingly did little to progress negotiations between the two sides, with NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reporting last week that Aiyuk and the Niners were "no closer" to an agreement.
The lack of progress could be considered somewhat of a surprise, given the apparent gap between the two sides is not a large one.
San Francisco is reported to have offered Aiyuk a deal worth $26 million annually. Aiyuk is said to be hoping to beat the extension handed to Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
St. Brown received a four-year, $120 million deal worth an average of $28 million over the first three years.
From the outside, the jump from $26 million to somewhere over $28 million is one that looks easy enough for the 49ers to make. Yet so far there has been no sign of them doing so.
What's been said?
In short, a lot, though predominantly from the side of Aiyuk.
The 49ers last spoke about the situation after the 2024 draft, when Lynch and Shanahan addressed the trade speculation swirling around their top receiver, reiterating their desire to keep him around for the long term.
"I know that we’re continuing to have positive talks with B.A. and we are really efforting to get something done with him," said Lynch. "And we’re excited about continuing down that path. And Brandon being a part of this team.
"Never close the door on a trade. I mean, we’ll always listen and we have. But we like our group as it stands.”
But Aiyuk, who skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp, has made his frustration with the way in which the 49ers have attempted to do business clear.
Last month saw Aiyuk release a video on TikTok in which he was filmed telling Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that the 49ers said they did not want him back.
He later clarified those comments in a wide-ranging interview on 'The Pivot' podcast.
Aiyuk said: "They told me that they didn’t think we were on the same page and that they didn’t believe we were going to, and that was about it at that time, but it’s part of it, it’s part of the contract negotiation, trying to sway stuff in either direction."
While the 49ers and Aiyuk aren't reportedly near to a deal right now, he revealed on 'The Pivot' that they have been close on several occasions.
“Throughout this process, there were times where we were super close,” Aiyuk explained. “I was telling my agent, ‘let me get my suit ready. I’m getting back to the Bay and getting right to sign this contract.’”
"There's days and times, like in the past month or so, where you could say we're pretty far apart."
The 49ers and Aiyuk started negotiating soon after their Super Bowl defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs but could not come to terms, with the challenge of reaching an agreement then made even tougher by a string of extensions signed by other premier wideouts.
"And then, on top of that, other guys, [they] got paid," said Aiyuk. "Their teams rewarded them. The market changed to what the market is, so, we weren’t able to get a deal done at that time where other guys wouldn’t affect the market and I could just do what I want to do, but even at that time, they still didn’t agree where I was at. So, we really haven’t agreed this whole entire time."
Aiyuk conceded to frustration at the $26 million figure coming out in the media and revealed the whole process of negotiating a deal has gotten to him.
"I'm taking it personal," he said. "I have a vision for what I see myself as, and [the 49ers] don't see me as that. Or you do, but you don't — you can't financially do it. Whatever, whatever, whatever. I'm not sure. I just feel like it's no hard feelings, though. If you don't want to do it or you can't do it, I’m sure there's somebody that will."
But when asked by TMZ Sports at LAX if he still wanted to be a 49er, Aiyuk replied: "For sure. For sure!"
What will happen next?
The last brief response from Aiyuk was the most important.
In his heart of hearts, he will know a trade to another team is extremely unlikely. The draft was likely the deadline for the 49ers to trade him, and they clearly did not receive a satisfactory offer. On top of that, he knows he will struggle to find a better situation in which he can contend for Super Bowls while flourishing in a system that is perfectly suited to his strengths.
"I feel like right now, I'm in the right place in the right spot with the right quarterback," Aiyuk said to 'The Pivot'. "But we're not on the right terms."
From the 49ers' perspective, despite negotiations seemingly growing fractious, the talks have followed a usual timeline.
Garafolo's report and Aiyuk's latest social media activity, which saw him share a screenshot of a Commanders practice featuring Daniels, suggest they still have work to do meet that soft training camp deadline. Yet the fact time is of the essence will likely accelerate the process.
The 49ers would ideally like to avoid having one of their best players being disgruntled and player on the fifth-year option. They have an owner who has consistently shown he is prepared to pay the big up front signing bonuses that are prorated over the life of the deal to spread the financial pain, and they know that signing Aiyuk to an extension should allow them to lower his cap hit this year and increase their flexibility for potential in-season moves.
It's a deal that has long since made too much sense for both sides for it not to happen, and the most likely outcome is that will finally be agreed before the veterans return to the practice facility in a fortnight's time.
