There's renewed hope for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's return to the San Francisco 49ers. Multiple reports state that the team has resumed negotiations on a long-term extension with Aiyuk following a candid sit-down meeting with head coach Kyle Shanahan and other key members of the organization.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the meeting allowed both sides to express "some open and candid thoughts."
"The two sides have since restarted negotiations on a long-term deal and there is some optimism that Aiyuk could remain in SF," Schultz added.
RELATED 49ers haven't talked to Steelers since resuming Aiyuk negotiations
While a few teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, are still in the mix to acquire Aiyuk, the chances of him staying with the 49ers have seemingly improved.
Sources: #49ers star WR Brandon Aiyuk recently had a sit-down meeting with Kyle Shanahan and others in the organization where "some open and candid thoughts were expressed." The two sides have since restarted negotiations on a long-term deal and there is some optimism that Aiyuk… pic.twitter.com/8HE6DSzFV2
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 9, 2024
The #49ers have made a renewed effort in recent days to strike a long-term deal with WR Brandon Aiyuk, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo.
The situation is fluid and other teams, including Pittsburgh, are still in the mix. But a return to SF appears increasingly possible.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 9, 2024
Update: The Steelers have not engaged in trade talks with the 49ers in the past 24 hours.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have not engaged in trade conversations with the San Francisco 49ers in the last 24 hours. In the meantime, the 49ers have opened up contract talk with Brandon Aiyuk and his agent, as many are reporting.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 9, 2024
Aiyuk is set to earn $14.124 million on a team-exercised fifth-year option but is seeking to become one of the NFL's highest-paid receivers. This would likely require a deal averaging around $30 million annually. The 49ers' last offer, made earlier in the offseason, was reportedly in the range of $26 million annually, and the team had not moved from that position until now.
During a radio interview on Thursday, Shanahan expressed hope that a deal could still be reached with his star receiver.
"In a perfect world, you'd love all that to happen," Shanahan said. "But there's a lot of sides to it. There's us, what we want, it's what he wants. There's a whole contract and stuff to that. It's the tough business part of this league, and some years it can be harder than others. This is a very difficult one, but it's something you're always holding out hope for."
The 49ers drafted Aiyuk (6-0, 200) out of Arizona State with the No. 25 overall pick in 2020. In 16 starts last season, he recorded 75 receptions for a career-high and team-leading 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference.
With 1,015 receiving yards in 2022, Aiyuk became the first 49ers wide receiver to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in two consecutive seasons since Anquan Boldin in 2013 and 2014. He was also the first 49ers player to achieve this since tight end George Kittle did so in 2018 and 2019.