It has been a wild ride for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk this offseason.
Aiyuk has requested to be dealt, flirted with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders, held out of 49ers training camp and apparently blocked potential trades to the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
All of that, and Aiyuk made end up signing a long-term deal with San Francisco after all.
In the midst of all of the trade rumors, a recent report surfaced that the 49ers were once again negotiating with Aiyuk and seemed to be making progress.
Now, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated expects an agreement to get done.
“If San Francisco pulls if off, don’t be surprised,” Breer wrote. “Shanahan, GM John Lynch and cap-side mastermind Paraag Marathe went down this road with [Deebo] Samuel and Nick Bosa the past two years. That’s why my guess would be that they find a way to work out a deal with another star player. Again.”
How much will Brandon Aiyuk get from the 49ers?
Aiyuk reportedly turned down over $30 million a year from the Patriots, but that could have just been because New England is nowhere close to contending.
But $30 million annually sounds about right for Aiyuk given that Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown secured contract extensions worth $35 million and $32 million per year, respectively.
Meanwhile, Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown nailed down $30 million annually, which is right in Aiyuk’s ballpark.
St. Brown is probably the superior receiver to Aiyuk at this point, at least in terms of statistics. However, the Niners may have to hit that $30 million number in order to keep the 26-year-old happy.
Aiyuk is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he hauled in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, establishing himself as the 49ers’ clear No. 1 receiver in an offense that also includes Deebo Samuel.
It certainly makes all the sense in the world for San Francisco to keep him at least through 2024, as the Niners are trying to win a Super Bowl now. Obviously, trading Aiyuk would be counterproductive to that goal unless they are able to land another top-flight wide out in return (they may have been able to bag Amari Cooper in the potential Browns deal that fell through).
It would also behoove Brandon Aiyuk to remain in the Bay Area given how the 49ers have been one of the best teams in football for the last half-decade.
We’ll see if the two sides can come to terms before the regular season.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
