Brandon Aiyuk is playing hardball as he waits for a contract extension with the 49ers, as per latest reports. The wide receiver wants a new deal that will make him among the highest-paid players in his position and the team has yet to agree to a deal with him.

That has led to Bandon Aiyuk skipping the mandatory minicamp and that will accrue fines worth $104,259 over the next three days as per the collective bargaining agreement. But that is the price he looks willing to pay in return for additional millions that can come his way through a renegotiated deal.

Did the 49ers make a mistake by not offering Brandon Aiyuk a deal earlier?

The longer the impasse drags on, the less likely an amicable solution to the whole saga becomes. It is a shame for both the player and the team. Brandon Aiyuk was a core component for the offense as the 49ers reached the Super Bowl last season. And if he stays in San Francisco, he gets to play for a team that is going to compete for honors again this year.

The 49ers might even regret not giving him a deal earlier, assuming they still want to retain him. Justin Jefferson’s new contract with the Minnesota Vikings, which pays him $35 million annually on average over four years, has reset the market for wide receivers. A negotiated settlement before the 2024 NFL draft, when rookie wide receivers were driving down the value of veterans, might have been the best time for San Francisco to nail down Brandon Aiyuk for the upcoming season.

But all might not be lost. We have seen Chris Jones, defensive stalwart of the Kansas City Chiefs, go through a similar process last year. His contract holdout lasted all through the offseason and into the new season. But when he came back, all bad blood was forgiven and he became a pivotal member of the team that defeated Brandon Aiyuk’s 49ers in the Super Bowl. And he looks set to stay in Kansas City for years to come.

Such a scenario might yet present itself for the wide receiver and the organization if they can agree to a deal. But the more this goes on, the probability of him going elsewhere increases. There are teams that still require experienced wide receivers like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills. And the 49ers might conclude that letting a wantaway player go might be better than retaining him and paying over the odds.