Another day, another new chapter in the saga that has become Brandon Aiyuk’s contract situation with the San Francisco 49ers. According to ESPN, the disgruntled wide receiver is meeting on Monday with the team.
The latest report comes after more details emerged last Friday as Aiyuk and the 49ers worked toward a common ground. Contrary to what Aiyuk recently told Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 49ers want to keep him and have no desire to trade him, according to ESPN. The issue, however, is money, as the 49ers do not want to pay Aiyuk what he is currently asking for, per the report.
The two sides were reportedly close to getting a deal done earlier this offseason, but that was before the receiver market skyrocketed after Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins each signed hefty new extensions.
Given what has recently transpired, it’s likely that Aiyuk wants an extension that is similar to the ones his peers recently signed, which would pay him somewhere in the ballpark of $30 million annually. Aiyuk, who is currently slated to make $14.124 million this season under his fifth-year option, has a projected market value of $26.5 million annually, according to Spotrac.
While they remain apart from a monetary standpoint, the 49ers have never seriously considered dealing Aiyuk this offseason. They did have talks with the Commanders prior to the draft, but those never never got off the ground, according to ESPN’s report.
At this point, it appears that Aiyuk and the 49ers are entrenched in a standstill. Either the two sides will find a middle ground, one side will decide give in, or a breakup will occur, either in the form of a yearlong holdout or a trade.
