Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
49ers plan to exercise Brandon Aiyukâs 5th-year option as other teams express interest
Mar 27, 2023 at 9:54 AM
•
Don't expect San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk to go anywhere anytime soon. On Monday morning, at the NFL owners' meetings in Arizona, general manager John Lynch made it clear the team plans to exercise the star player's fifth-year option.
"Brandon's been excellent for us," Lynch told reporters. "I'd be shocked if we didn't. We still have some time. It's (the deadline) the day after the draft, I believe, we have to make those decisions. And so we're still discussing, but it probably makes sense to do that for Brandon.
"He's a really good player. It's interesting when you're at these league functions, ownership meetings, combine, a lot of people ask about him. They really appreciate his game, and they see it ascending. And he's a guy we're very fortunate to have, and I think he's just coming into his own, too."
It doesn't sound like Lynch and the 49ers are interested in trading Aiyuk to any of those teams, believing the receiver has only scratched the surface of his potential.
"I think it's only going to get better," Lynch added. "So we're excited about watching Brandon move forward with us."
Having earned a playtime bonus, the 49ers exercising the fifth-year option on Aiyuk would guarantee the receiver $14.12 million in 2024. He would remain a candidate for a contract extension.
Another candidate for the fifth-year option is
Javon Kinlaw. However, the 49ers are not expected to make a move to guarantee the defensive tackle $10.5 million in 2024.
San Francisco drafted Aiyuk (6-0, 200) out of Arizona State with the No. 25 overall pick in 2020. He registered 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns through 17 starts last season.
Aiyuk, 25, has caught 194 passes for 2,589 yards and 18 touchdowns in 46 game appearances (44 starts) through his three NFL seasons.
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Kyle Juszczyk: 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk "just looks different than everyone else on the field"
Anything short of topping his 78-catch, 1,015-receiving-yard, and eight-touchdown performance from last season might disappoint San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. All were career highs, and the fourth-year wideout expects more of himself in 2023.
"I'm about to take off," Aiyuk declared last week. "That's it. ... We all know it's football. Nothing's ever guaranteed, but just getting a better understanding for my life as a person, and then as a football player, kind of putting those things together and then just looking to get better."
If Aiyuk does "take off" during the upcoming season, it creates an interesting predicament for the organization. When
"I'm about to take off": 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk expects big things in 2023
Brandon Aiyuk knows his payday will come—eventually. Some speculated that the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver might be frustrated by his contract situation. However, Aiyuk admits he was just having fun with the offseason rumors.
"It's just a crazy, crazy business, so you never really know," Aiyuk told reporters after Wednesday's practice. "But I was having fun with it. I knew what's going on long before, so yeah. I didn't know what was going on at first, but I had a conversation with [general manager] John [Lynch], I had a conversation with [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan]. They told me what it was, and then from that point on, we moved forward."
Aiyuk is entering his fourth NFL season and is looking to top his 78-catch, 1,015-yard, and eight-touchdown
49ers Notebook: George Kittle raves about Trey Lance; Time to expect even bigger things from Brandon Aiyuk; Shanahan assesses Sam Darnold; Nick Bosa's offseason tweak
The 49ers began their annual mandatory minicamp Tuesday, which as always will mark the end of the third and final phase of the team's offseason workout schedule. The team will break for the summer following Wednesday's session, so Tuesday was an opportunity for reporters to catch up with a number of 49ers players as well as head coach Kyle Shanahan to get some final updates before the team departs.
Among those who spoke with the media Tuesday were wide receiver Deebo Samuel, defensive end Nick Bosa, and tight end George Kittle. 49ers Webzone posted updates earlier on some of the most newsworthy moments from those media sessions, but that was far from the only thing discussed Tuesday. Here's a recap of what the players and Shanahan said, including some praise for Trey Lance
Deommodore Lenoir: 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk will be a top-5 WR in 2023, put "everybody on notice"
Brandon Aiyuk is a favorite to be the San Francisco 49ers' breakout player of 2023. Last season, the wide receiver surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career, hauling in eight receiving touchdowns along the way.
Teammates, fans, and the media aren't the only ones predicting a big year for the fourth-year wideout.
"I'm about to take off," Aiyuk declared last week. "That's it. ... We all know it's football. Nothing's ever guaranteed, but just getting a better understanding for my life as a person, and then as a football player, kind of putting those things together and then just looking to get better.
"I feel like, now, having another
