We are unlikely to hear any updates on the contract standoff between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk until training camp begins late next month. Aiyuk signaled his dissatisfaction with the negotiation progress by skipping last week's mandatory minicamp, subjecting himself to fines totaling $101,716.
Skipping training camp could result in further fines. Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently stated that there is no indication the 49ers will waive any fines resulting from Aiyuk's absences.
"All those fines will start piling up in the summer, [and there's] no indication that the 49ers will forgive Aiyuk for absences the way that they did for Nick Bosa," Barrows said during a recent radio interview.
NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated predicts that a deal between Aiyuk and the 49ers will eventually get done, citing a recent report by Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle suggesting the team likely offered Aiyuk a deal worth $26 million annually.
"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," Breer wrote in his recent mailbag feature for Sports Illustrated. "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)."
Breer points out that a deal with Aiyuk will likely result in NFL teams calling the 49ers about potentially trading for the team's other star wideout, Deebo Samuel. However, many believe it would be foolish for San Francisco to trade Samuel at this point, with the NFL Draft far behind in the rearview mirror.
The 49ers currently have an estimated $32.7 million in salary cap space, the sixth-largest amount in the NFL. They can comfortably carry both Aiyuk and Samuel into the 2024 season.
Next offseason might be different, with the 49ers potentially welcoming trade offers for Samuel or Aiyuk, depending on whether Aiyuk signs an extension. While Samuel is under contract through the 2025 season, quarterback Brock Purdy is slated to become the team's highest-paid player next year, which may force some difficult financial decisions.
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