How much longer will the standoff between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk continue? We're unlikely to hear any significant updates until closer to training camp in late July. That's when the team typically finalizes significant contract extensions with star players. Defensive end Nick Bosa, for example, got his deal done just days before the start of the regular season last year.
The 49ers are hoping the Aiyuk situation doesn't drag on as long. They want their star receiver to practice with quarterback Brock Purdy and continue building on the chemistry they established last season. Aiyuk led the team with a career-high 1,342 receiving yards, while Purdy set a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards.
Aiyuk sent a clear message to the 49ers by not reporting to the team's mandatory minicamp and might skip part of training camp if the two sides can't come to an agreement.
"He has made his statement to the 49ers, who have been trying to get a deal done," Tom Pelissero said during a recent segment on NFL Network's "The Insiders."
Pelissero noted that there was trade interest in Aiyuk around the draft, but nothing materialized, and the 49ers pushed forward with both Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel still on the roster.
"The price in a trade was going to be high, talking about a first-round pick and probably more," Pelissero stated. "Once the 2024 draft passed without a trade, all signs pointing toward Aiyuk being on the 49ers in 2024. The real question now is does he play that out? Probably gets tagged in 2025, and then we see where things go. Or can they find a path to get something done now?"
The show's co-host, Judy Battista, added, "Keep in mind, we've said this before, but San Francisco is pretty comfortable playing things out through the summer. They don't rush through things, and they have let superstar contracts go all the way into August. So we'll see. We've got some time with San Francisco."
RELATED Albert Breer predicts 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk standoff results in $29 million-a-year deal
Aiyuk is set to earn $14.124 million on a team-exercised fifth-year option in 2024, well below market value. He hopes his new deal averages more than twice that amount, aligning with a recent prediction from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Breer recently wrote, "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)."
As training camp approaches, both sides are under pressure to reach an agreement that secures Aiyuk's talents while maintaining the 49ers' competitive edge.