Christian McCaffrey confident Brandon Aiyuk will buck trend among recent 49ers contract holdouts
Christian McCaffrey has had a lot to celebrate recently, with this week's announcement he is the Madden 25 cover star following a recent extension to his San Francisco 49ers contract. While McCaffrey is now signed through the 2027 season, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is still waiting on a long-term extension, with his contract holdout leading […]
Christian McCaffrey has had a lot to celebrate recently, with this week's announcement he is the Madden 25 cover star following a recent extension to his San Francisco 49ers contract.
While McCaffrey is now signed through the 2027 season, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is still waiting on a long-term extension, with his contract holdout leading him to skip OTAs and the Niners' mandatory minicamp.
Aiyuk has led the 49ers in receiving in each of the last two seasons, racking up over 1,000 yards in both and firmly establishing himself as quarterback Brock Purdy's top target.
Asked about Aiyuk's situation on NFL Network's 'The Insiders', McCaffrey said: "I think everybody on the team wants him in the building. He’s such a pivotal part of, not just our offense, but our team. Obviously we want him around."
The prevailing wisdom is that the 49ers will get Aiyuk signed to a long-term deal, and they have a track record of agreeing to terms with their stars around training camp, which starts late next month.
The exception came last year, when Nick Bosa signed a deal that at the time made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL a few days before the season opener with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Both Bosa and previously Deebo Samuel, who signed a three-year extension with the 49ers in 2022 after a contract holdout, have spoken about the negative impact their respective negotiations had on their subsequent campaigns.
Aiyuk recently posted a video on Instagram featuring him working out on a baseball field, and McCaffrey expressed confidence the second-team All-Pro will be in the physical condition to ensure he does not suffer a drop-off following his absence from the team.
"This is the hardest part of the NFL is the business side of it," added the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
"Guys have to handle their business however they see fit. Whenever he gets there, we’ll be ready to go, I know he’s been working extremely hard and he’ll be ready to go. You just hope for the best.”
The noises around the Aiyuk situation have grown more pessimistic of late, but he is reported to have an offer on table that would pay him $26 million annually. That is short of what he supposedly wants — a contract that would beat the Amon-Ra St. Brown deal that pays $28 million annually over the first three years.
Whether the Niners are able to bridge that gap or Aiyuk ends up playing on his fifth-year option remains to be seen, but it's clear McCaffrey expects him to buck a frustrating trend among recent 49ers holdouts regardless.
Updated 53-man roster projection for the San Francisco 49ers following offseason workout program
A few things have changed.
