Jerry Rice recently sat down with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area at the American Century Championship golf tournament in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Naturally, the conversation shifted to the ongoing contract stalemate between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Rice, who has no influence in the situation and hasn't been in contact with Aiyuk, offered his thoughts on the matter. Aiyuk is seeking a contract extension that would make him one of the NFL's highest-paid receivers. He is currently slated to play on a team-exercised fifth-year option that will pay him $14.124 million—far below market value, as Aiyuk reportedly seeks more than twice that amount annually.
When asked how the situation might eventually conclude, Rice responded, "I don't know. That's up to management. They make the decisions. They do all of those things. And we'll see what happens, though. We can't let that be a distraction or anything because that door, eventually, is gonna close, and we are so close right now, we gotta kick it in."
While Rice emphasized that he never played for the money but for the love of the game, he certainly understands the need for financial security.
"I think he would love to have had that security already, and he wouldn't have to really think about it, and he can just go play football," Rice said. "But still, he has the opportunity where he can just showcase his ability, and it's a one-year deal. Then he can go anywhere he wants to go."
However, Aiyuk won't necessarily become a free agent after the upcoming season. The 49ers hold significant leverage in the negotiations. In addition to the fifth-year option, the team can use the franchise tag in two consecutive years, starting in 2025. The average over those three years would still be less than the $26 million annually that San Francisco has reportedly offered Aiyuk.
If Aiyuk were not with the 49ers in 2025, it would likely be because the team used the franchise tag and traded him.
"I think the main thing for him, right now, he's just got to play his best football," Rice continued. "He's got to show everybody that, 'Hey, look, I'm that number one guy, and if you make me that number one guy, I'm gonna be productive.'"
It sounds like Rice believes Aiyuk should play through the 2024 season and see how the situation plays out. With the receiver market exploding this offseason, his value will likely increase. If the true intent is to secure Aiyuk with a long-term deal, the 49ers likely would have saved significant money and headaches by signing him earlier in the offseason.
"I think his main focus, right now, Brandon Aiyuk, is just to play football," Rice concluded. "Play football, and just let his ability speak for itself, and we'll see what happens after this season. ... That's in his control. That's what you want. So it's up to him to put him in the arena where—I'm not saying he's not already there—where he could be the highest paid. I would love to have a year like that, just to prove myself, and just to go out there and play football."
You can listen to the entire interview with Rice below.