NFL Rumors: Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers Had 'Good Meeting' Amid Contract, Trade Buzz
Tyler Conway@@jtylerconway
Featured Columnist IVJune 26, 2024
The San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk reportedly had a "good meeting" as the two sides remain at an impasse in contract negotiations.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported both sides "said things that needed to be said," and there are no plans for a trade at this time.
Tom Pelissero @TomPelisseroWhat are the biggest questions facing each NFC West team? We broke that down — including the latest on Brandon Aiyuk — with help from <a href="https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BaldyNFL</a> on The Insiders on <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nflnetwork</a>.<br><br>Full episodes on-demand: <br>📺📱💻 <a href="https://t.co/RV7mRM3S0M">https://t.co/RV7mRM3S0M</a> <br>🎧 <a href="https://t.co/o1K5Rl5nkB">https://t.co/o1K5Rl5nkB</a> <a href="https://t.co/RYjvL7miVc">pic.twitter.com/RYjvL7miVc</a>
Aiyuk has become disenchanted with the 49ers this offseason amid a seeming lack of urgency from the team to get a long-term deal done. He told former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels the 49ers "don't want me back" during a FaceTime call that was posted on TikTok earlier this month.
The All-Pro has been absent throughout the 49ers' offseason program and did not attend mandatory minicamp. He's currently slated to make $14.1 million in the final year of his rookie contract.
The 49ers reportedly explored trading Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel but never came close to making a move. San Francisco selected Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, a signal that one of the two wideouts isn't in the team's long-term planning.
"I know that we're continuing to have positive talks with [Aiyuk] and we are really efforting to get something done with him," general manager John Lynch told reporters in April. "We're excited about continuing down that path and Brandon being a part of this team.
"Deebo is a part of this team and a big part of this team. We feel great about that group and we feel like we just made it better with another really good addition to it, who complements the group real well."
Samuel does not have any guaranteed money remaining on his contract beyond this season. From a skill perspective, Pearsall also lines up more with what Samuel does on the field than Aiyuk.
That said, the wide receiver market has skyrocketed over the last year to the point the 49ers might balk at paying Aiyk as a true WR1. It's likely he'll look to approach the $30 million mark on an annual basis, which is a difficult number to stomach given the number of stars San Francisco has on its roster and the impending long-term contract due for quarterback Brock Purdy.