Brandon Aiyuk still doesn't have the lucrative long-term contract he has been seeking since the end of last season.

But, after a long saga that at one point appeared poised to end in him being traded, the signs now appear to be pointing to him remaining with the San Francisco 49ers and signing an extension.

That did not appear a likely outcome last week when it was reported the Niners had given Aiyuk and his agent permission to speak to potential trade partners while also agreeing trade frameworks with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.

There have also been reported discussions with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, following news that the 49ers had "re-engaged" in contract discussions with Aiyuk with a view to ending a prolonged staring contest that stretched back to their last reported offer in May, ESPN's Adam Schefter explained where he believes San Francisco's focus lies at this stage.

Appearing on 'The Pat McAfee Show', Schefter said: "Now it looks like the focus and emphasis is on keeping him in San Francisco and not trading him. But I would say that this has had many twists and turns to it, and until there's final resolution, you don't know. 

"But the 49ers want to keep him. They don't want to trade him. They've never wanted to trade him. They've wanted to get a deal worked out with him. The deal has been elusive."

"The Aiyuk saga has had more twists & turns than any offseason story we've seen in a long time..

Right now it looks like the focus & emphasis is on keeping him in San Francisco..

The 49ers goal is to keep him & we'll see if they can get a deal done" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/gnVeyDKH22

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 12, 2024

Schefter also expressed his view that Aiyuk's conduct on social media had prompted the Niners to explore trading him following his request in July. 

He added: "The player was the one who requested the trade. The player was the one who tweeted at [Steelers head coach] Mike Tomlin. The player was the one who called [Washington QB] Jayden Daniels and talked about going to the Commanders. The 49ers were not interested in doing those sorts of things. They were interested in getting a deal done because they wanted to keep the player."

"Now, they're at a point where they'd like to try to figure it out. That would be their goal, to keep him there in San Francisco, which, I think, really, has been a goal all along, despite the fact that, in a relationship, there are ups and downs with everything. 

"And so they're trying to see if they get this deal worked out now, and if they can, obviously, he'll be staying, and he won't be going to Cleveland or New England or Pittsburgh or any of the teams that have had conversations with the 49ers. But that would be the team's preference right now, to keep him and to get that deal worked out. And that's what they're trying to do, and we'll see if they can get it done."

Schefter might be being overly generous to the 49ers with his assessment of how negotiations have gone. While Aiyuk might not have helped the situation with his social media activity, the Niners apparent previous unwillingness to discuss improving on their first offer clearly left him feeling so frustrated that he felt the need to request a trade.

But allowing him to seek contracts with other teams may have helped the 49ers to better judge Aiyuk's market and find an improved price with which they are comfortable. It has been a long and fractious road, but the Niners could finally be at a point where they can make a move that will be critical to the long-term future of their league-leading offense.

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