On Friday morning, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk announced on social media that he is at Levi's Stadium. In the video, shared by Coach Yac on Twitter/X, Aiyuk is seen approaching the stadium. He appears to be in a good mood. Could this be an indication that a new contract is about to be signed?
Brandon Aiyuk is currently at Levi's 👀 pic.twitter.com/zK5zIAyh15
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 28, 2024
Aiyuk met with GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday, and according to Tom Pelissero, the meeting went well. Pelissero, speaking on The Insiders on NFL Network, said on Wednesday, "Here's what I can tell you. Aiyuk and 49ers' brass met on Monday at Aiyuk's request. This was a good meeting. From what I was told, both sides said things that needed to be said, and they're going to keep working.
"It's important to note here, there's never been a trade request from Brandon Aiyuk. That hasn't changed. The 49ers' stance hasn't changed either, despite getting trade calls on Aiyuk going back to draft week. They're moving forward, and they want Aiyuk to be a part of the team in 2024. So what I would anticipate here is all parties involved will go ahead and enjoy the 4th of July holiday, regroup sometime after that. They've still got several weeks here to see if they can hammer out a deal that locks in Brandon Aiyuk with San Francisco for the long haul."
It's been a long offseason for Aiyuk, who has not been shy regarding his frustration in these contract negotiations. The 49ers are known for being tough throughout the negotiating process, and sometimes players take it personally. That was the case two years ago for fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
But cooler heads always seem to prevail, and once the player gets paid, it's all in the past. If Aiyuk is about to sign his new deal, that could explain his cheerful mood. It's also possible that he's returning for another reason, so until we know for certain, all we can do is speculate.