With star San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk entering his contract year, trade rumors ran rampant leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft. But the draft has now come and gone, and Aiyuk is still a member of the 49ers.
General manager John Lynch and company are hoping that remains a fact for the foreseeable future. Despite the looming contractual issues, the 49ers have no interest in trading Aiyuk and are hoping to work out on a long-term extension, via Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
“It doesn't seem like that is in the cards, at least right now,” Rapoport said of the 49ers dealing Aiyuk. “The 49ers are moving forward with Brandon Aiyuk on their roster.”
San Francisco has been in contract negotiations and are actively trying to make a long-term deal work. While it's not yet known what a potential deal might cost, Devonta Smith's contract with the Philadelphia Eagles (three-year, $75 million) and Amon-Ra St. Brown's with the Detroit Lions (four-year, $120 million) will act as potential barometers to reach.
Regardless of cost, it's clear that the 49ers want Aiyuk on their team come Week 1.
San Francisco did add to the trade speculation when they used the No. 31 overall pick on wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. If the 49ers can't come to terms with Aiyuk in the long run, Pearsall could serve as his potential replacement. But if it were up to San Fran, Aiyuk and Pearsall would be playing alongside each other and catching passes from Brock Purdy for years to come.
How Brandon Aiyuk earned his bag with 49ers
The 49ers selected Aiyuk with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. They even traded up to select him. He became an immediate contributor, starting 11 games as a rookie. However, it took some time before Aiyuk became a true weapon in San Francisco's offense.
That's not to say his rookie and sophomore seasons were busts. He gained 748 and 826 yards through the air, catching five touchdown passes each campaign. However, come 2022, Aiyuk truly found his stride with the 49ers. He set new career-highs with 78 receptions for 1,105 yards and eight touchdowns.
His receptions and touchdown records still stand, but Aiyuk set a new career-best in receiving yardage with 1,342 in 2023. It came on 75 grabs, including seven scores. With back-to-back standout seasons, Aiyuk has developed into the playmaking receiver San Francisco was hoping he would be.
But Brandon Aiyuk also knows his play will come with a bigger paycheck. He is slated to make just over $14 million in 2024 playing on the fifth-year option. While it's the biggest payday of his career thus far, another strong season would give him more more and more long-term stability.
The 49ers are hopeful that stability comes in San Francisco and have been working to get a deal done. San Fran could've fetched a pretty penny at the NFL Draft in an Aiyuk trade. But that is a play they don't want to run as the 49ers would rather Aiyuk keep making plays on their squad.
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