Heading into the third week of training camp, there’s still no resolution to the ongoing contract drama between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
But perhaps that might change soon.
49ers insider Matt Maiocco recently made his thoughts on the situation known, explaining he believes San Francisco may finally be motivated to trade the star wideout given the dead-end talks between Aiyuk and general manager John Lynch.
“What’s changed is Aiyuk and San Francisco have taken longer than expected to finalize a deal after the sides nearly had an agreement months ago,” Maiocco wrote. “When the receiver market blew up, so did the contract talks … At this point, Aiyuk and the 49ers have some options. And it appears more likely than ever that the 49ers are willing to make a trade. It might be up to Aiyuk to determine the next move.”
There was optimism last week that the two sides could be close to hashing things out after a training camp video surfaced of Aiyuk getting chummy with Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, but things have been quiet ever since.
#49ers Brandon Aiyuk walks onto the field and headed straight to John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan 🤝 pic.twitter.com/JPdTzwDv92
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) July 31, 2024
The 49ers reportedly made Aiyuk an offer that would’ve paid him in the range of $26M per year, which would make him the eight-highest paid receiver in the NFL. However, Aiyuk’s camp reportedly has been adamant on not settling for anything less than $30M per year.
The Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots are two teams who’ve been linked to Aiyuk recently.
Both teams have veteran receivers — Amari Cooper and Kendrick Bourne, respectively — they can package with a draft pick or two that might give the 49ers exactly what they want: a proven WR who can step into Aiyuk’s spot right away and help with their 2024 Super Bowl run, plus a couple of draft picks for the future.
