Brandon Aiyuk uses Lil Wayne lyric to send clear message to John Lynch and San Francisco 49ers
John Lynch said on Monday that the San Francisco 49ers were "actively talking" to Brandon Aiyuk and his team while dismissing any suggestion they have had talks about trading the All-Pro wide receiver. Aiyuk was quick to respond to his general manager, sending a clear message to the Niners that left little doubt as to […]
John Lynch said on Monday that the San Francisco 49ers were "actively talking" to Brandon Aiyuk and his team while dismissing any suggestion they have had talks about trading the All-Pro wide receiver.
Aiyuk was quick to respond to his general manager, sending a clear message to the Niners that left little doubt as to the status of those negotiations.
In a post on his Instagram story, Aiyuk took inspiration from Lil Wayne in his reply to Lynch, using emojis to spell out "money talks, b******t walks".
That is a line from Wayne's song 'Rich as F***', with Aiyuk's choice of words an obvious indication that the 49ers have not got close to putting forward an offer that is satisfactory to the 2020 first-round pick.
It also suggests that negotiations might be very similar in nature to the talks the 49ers had with Deebo Samuel in 2022. Samuel at one point requested a trade before eventually penning a three-year extension with San Francisco.
That the 49ers and Aiyuk are far apart at this stage is no surprise. The Niners have consistently worked to the same timeline when extending their best players, regularly getting them signed around the first day of training camp. The exception came last year, when Nick Bosa was made the highest-paid defender in the NFL a few days before the start of the season.
Spotrac has Aiyuk's market value at $24 million year. That would make him the fifth-highest paid wide receiver in the NFL by average annual value, tied with DK Metcalf and Stefon Diggs.
History says the 49ers will eventually get to a point where they make an offer around that mark that should get the job done, but Aiyuk may have to play a waiting game that could lead to more posts akin to Monday's public display of frustration.
John Lynch’s Brandon Aiyuk updates reflect San Francisco 49ers’ calm over contract situation
They have no reason to panic.
