Joel Corry, a former sports agent and contributor at CBS Sports, recently assessed the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The star player skipped this week's mandatory minicamp, sending a message to the team that he is willing to incur potential fines while waiting on a contract extension.
How long will Aiyuk hold out? With the offseason program in the rearview mirror, he won't be required to report to the 49ers' facilities in Santa Clara, California, until training camp begins in late July.
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Aiyuk is slated to earn $14.124 million on a team-exercised fifth-year option. However, the wideout knows his value far exceeds that, especially after seeing several other NFL receivers secure massive deals this offseason. The latest was Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who will earn up to $35 million annually.
No one expects Aiyuk to receive that kind of payday. However, something in the range of Miami Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle's average seems plausible.
"A Waddle-type contract at $28.25 million per year, which has $77 million in overall guarantees, is probably Aiyuk's salary floor since he has emerged as San Francisco's top receiving option for quarterback Brock Purdy," Corry wrote in his feature for CBS Sports. "He has led the 49ers in targets in each of the last two seasons."
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Aiyuk has also recorded back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, leading the 49ers with a career-high 1,342 receiving yards this past season and earning second-team All-Pro honors.
"His 17.9 yards per catch were second in the NFL," Corry continued. "The seven 100-yard receiving games Aiyuk had in 2023 were the most for a 49er in a single season since Jerry Rice in 1995."
Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that, based on what he has heard, the 49ers' most recent bid is in the $26 million range. While it may not be Jefferson money, it is certainly in the range expected for the next tier of receivers.
As far as what Aiyuk should earn from his team, Corry stated, "A $30 million-per-year contract isn't out of the question for Aiyuk after Jefferson's extension. [WR Deebo] Samuel's deal, adjusted for the 22.67% increase in the salary cap over the last two years, is just over $29.25 million per year."
The real question is whether the 49ers are willing to meet that figure.