Brandon Aiyuk has been vocal about his desire for appropriate compensation from the San Francisco 49ers or any NFL team. “I’m trying to get what I deserve,” Aiyuk stated on a podcast last month. “I feel like this season, playing football, I figured out who I was as a person and a player — what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization.” General manager John Lynch has affirmed the 49ers’ intention to keep Aiyuk on the team long-term. However, a recent report indicates that there is still a substantial financial gap in the discussions for a contract extension. Some NFL insiders have questioned whether Aiyuk would be willing to stay with the 49ers even if it means accepting a lower salary than he could command on the open market. Aiyuk is currently signed for the upcoming season with a team-exercised fifth-year option worth $14.124 million. The 49ers also have the option to tag him with the franchise tag in the future. Nonetheless, both parties are likely keen on reaching an agreement. “Whatever the 49ers will pay Brandon Aiyuk, who they really, really like as a player, who they developed all the way through, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a team that’s willing to pay him more,” Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network. “That’s actually not really the question. The question really is: Does Brandon Aiyuk want to stay in San Francisco with a team that’s awesome and will probably be very good for a long time?” The 49ers have recently appeared in the Super Bowl and have advanced deep into the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. The team continues to boast one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and is anticipated to be a championship contender once more in the upcoming season. “Are they going to pay him the most in the NFL? Maybe not,” Rapoport continued. “They’ve got a good team. They want to keep it together. But would it be enough to keep him? … I’m leaning more, as of right now, of him potentially staying, but this story has not yet been written fully at all.” This content was initially published on 49ers Webzone and has been reproduced with authorization.
Brandon Aiyuk Contract Negotiations: 49ers Aim to Keep Receiver Despite Financial Gap
