There hasn't been many people expressing optimism around the San Francisco 49ers' contract stand-off with Brandon Aiyuk of late.

San Francisco's All-Pro wide receiver skipped both OTAs and mandatory minicamp as his team continues to negotiate with the 49ers over a long-term extension.

To this point, there has been little sign of a breakthrough. However, Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer feels the 49ers and Aiyuk will eventually come to terms.

And he believes Aiyuk will get what he apparently desires in terms of average annual salary.

Aiyuk's personal receiver coach T.J. Houshmandzadeh said recently that the deal would be done if the 49ers had offered the 2020 first-round pick the deal Amon-Ra St. Brown signed with the Detroit Lions this offseason. St. Brown's four-year, $120 million extension is worth $28 million annually over the first three years and it is widely believed Aiyuk would like to top that contract.

Mike Silver of The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported the 49ers had offered Aiyuk a deal worth $26 million per year.

The gap between those two contracts is not a huge one for the 49ers to bridge and Breer is confident they will do so while granting Aiyuk his wish.

Asked in a mailbag for SI if Aiyuk will be extended by the 49ers, Breer wrote:

"I think so. My buddy Mike Silver of The San Francisco Chronicle has the San Francisco 49ers’ offer at a new-money average of $26 million per year. My sense is that’s getting in the neighborhood of where they’ll have to lock up Brandon Aiyuk, whom they really do value and love. I think the final number, if I had to guess, will wind up being $29 million per year, which would put Aiyuk past the Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle and Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, and still behind the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson by quite a bit (which would be understandable)."

Though Aiyuk has recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, he hasn't produced at the level where he would be deserving of getting anywhere close to Jefferson's contract, which made the Minnesota Vikings receiver the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

But, with Aiyuk still only 26 and quite clearly on an upward trajectory, a deal worth $29 million annually could soon prove to be a steal for the 49ers as he enters his prime years over the coming seasons.

San Francisco has long since traditionally stuck to a timeline of getting their big stars signed to extensions around training camp. Breer's analysis suggests the Niners may do just that with Aiyuk by agreeing a deal that would satisfy the receiver and could soon look like very good value for the franchise. Should that prove to be the case, the only question will surround why the 49ers felt the need to drag things out so long.

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