Doubtful this deal has any change on Brandon Aiyuk’s contract demands, but it might give the 49ers some ideas.
While the 49ers had another day of training camp, and Patrick Willis got enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, another wide receiver’s contract hit the news. This time it’s Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins.
The restructured deal gives Hill $65 million guaranteed with a four-year total of $106.5 million.
For any of you thinking this is going to make the Brandon Aiyuk situation any different, you can rest easy—it won’t. Tyreek Hill was already No. 1 on the guarantees until that Justin Jefferson deal and Aiyuk was asking for Amon-Ra St. Brown money. This doesn’t reset the Brandon Aiyuk deal or make it even more difficult.
It does, however, make the Trent Williams deal spin differently. The 49ers are dealing with both Aiyuk and Williams wanting new deals. the former is young and entering his prime. The latter is one of, if not the best offensive tackles in the league and shown no sign of slowing down.
While the Hill deal doesn’t move the needle for Aiyuk, it certainly can for Williams. It might also give the 49ers some ideas. As of this writing, the contract specifics (void years, roster bonus, etc) hasn’t been posted—that is something to watch for to see how the deal is organized. While some may point to this being another reason to think the 49ers will choose between Williams and Aiyuk, just forget Aiyuk and think about how this deal could maybe be somethign the 49ers could analyse.
Williams has three years remaining on his contract. That’s similar to circumstances of the Hill extension. The Athletic’s David Lombardi pointed this out as well, saying that however the deal is structured could give the 49ers some ideas for how to keep Williams around.
While you might groan at another wide receiver contract, rest easy. This is an extension and one that shouldn’t blow up the market like all the other deals that just *had* to happen this offseason. This is a contract that may be what the 49ers can emulate to keep Trent Williams.
