The San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk have yet to agree on terms for a contract extension, resulting in the wide receiver not participating in the OTAs. There were a lot of trade rumors involving Aiyuk around the 2024 NFL Draft, but the 26-year-old player is expected to stay with the franchise.
As per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mike Silver, the 49ers did offer Aiyuk another offer, and it wasn’t nearly close to what Justin Jefferson got in his new deal. The Minnesota Vikings star recently signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the franchise and will earn an average annual salary of $35 million.
As per NBC Sports Bay Area, Silver said this about a potential contract extension for Brandon Aiyuk:
“I’m hearing their offer is in the $26-million range, which certainly is not Justin Jefferson money, nor should it be, but it’s closer to that DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, that next tier down.”
No one expects Aiyuk to get a deal like Jefferson, but based on reports, the player’s camp is looking for a similar deal to what A.J. Brown got from the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown recently signed another extension with the Eagles and will earn close to $32 million annually.
Many consider Brandon Aiyuk to be a top-10 wide receiver in the league, and the player wants to get paid like one. Based on how things have transpired so far, it will be quite surprising if the Arizona State product stays with the 49ers without earning more than $30 million annually.
Brandon Aiyuk’s contract extension may have an impact on Deebo Samuel’s future
Not only Brandon Aiyuk but Deebo Samuel’s name was also floated in trade rumors around the draft. The 49ers ultimately kept both of their stars, but a possible extension for Aiyuk might result in Samuel’s exit next year.
Deebo Samuel will be entering the final year of his contract in 2025, and if the franchise doesn’t win a Super Bowl this year, they might look to cash in on their dual-threat star.
The 49ers drafted Ricky Pearsall, a wide receiver from the University of Florida, in the first round of this year’s draft. He is expected to eventually become a go-to guy for the team in the years to come, which signals that the franchise might look to part ways with one of their veteran wideouts.
Samuel will be 29 years old next year, and to free some cap space for a potential contract extension for Brock Purdy, the 49ers will likely trade him for draft picks in exchange.
