close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

NFL Rumors: 49ers Brandon Aiyuk agrees to 4-year, 0M contract amid trade rumors | News, scores, highlights, stats & rumors
news

NFL Rumors: 49ers Brandon Aiyuk agrees to 4-year, $120M contract amid trade rumors | News, scores, highlights, stats & rumors

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 1: Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers runs during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on October 1, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Michael Owens/Getty Images

The stalemate between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is over after the two sides agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.

The deal includes $76 million in guarantees. According to Rapoport, Aiyuk will receive $47 million between August 29, 2024 and April 1, 2025.

Mike Garafolo @MikeGarafolo

Sources for me and @RapSheet: The #49ers and WR Brandon Aiyuk have agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with $76 million in guarantees.
Hold-in over. Trade request withdrawn. Aiyuk’s agent @RyanWilliamsA1 and the Niners make a deal to keep him in Santa Clara. photo.twitter.com/DZdjMJBGkw

ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported that “Aiyuk has accepted the same deal that has been on the table since August 10, according to league sources.”

Schefter added: “His hold-in didn’t change anything about his new four-year, $120 million extension. He took the same deal that was in place the last three weeks. Hold-in over.”

Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, also shared a photo on Instagram of the two on FaceTime after the deal was reported. Williams wrote, “We worked hard for that smile,” tagging the veteran receiver.

Aiyuk has made no secret of his desire to get a new deal for the 2024 NFL season, formally requesting a trade in July in the absence of a compromise. Though he showed up for training camp, the matter was far from resolved.

Matt Barrows @mattbarrows

Brandon Aiyuk just walked off the field…and into the 49ers headquarters building with John Lynch. photo.twitter.com/HMl9l0ylZW

The 26-year-old is coming off his best season, catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.

Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, Philadelphia Eagles’ AJ Brown and Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown all, along with Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, made more than $30 million per year this offseason.

Their huge paydays have helped the earning power of others at the position. Even if you’re not an elite wideout, your starting price is now around $25 million and up as long as you’re a No. 1 option.

Aiyuk understandably wanted to cash in, and he’s a player the 49ers couldn’t afford to lose. Both sides would gain something with another multi-year extension.

However, it proved difficult to find a middle ground.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter speculated on July 17 about NFL Live that San Francisco may value Aiyuk less than Dolphins star Jaylen Waddle, who earns $28.3 million annually under his new contract.

Once training camp got underway, it appeared the team was content to work with the 6-foot-3 pass-catcher a year before he was set to become a free agent.

Negotiations reportedly stalled in May, with Schefter reporting that “the 49ers do not want to and have no intention of trading” Aiyuk.

On July 23, General Manager John Lynch decided to remain diplomatic.

“We fully believe that Brandon is going to be a Niner going forward,” he told reporters. “We’re always open to hearing things, but like I said, we expect Brandon to be an integral part of our team, as he has been, and we’re excited about that.”

Lynch and management knew full well that Aiyuk wouldn’t be able to wait long. If he were still playing with his 2024 option, he would clearly be motivated to show himself on the field.

But having an openly disgruntled player, especially one as important as the 2020 first-round pick, on the roster is never ideal. Prospective free agents and others on the Niners roster may have noticed, too, if the team was seen as treating Aiyuk unfairly or undervaluing him.

While one wideout contractual dispute for Lynch is over, another could be on the horizon. Deebo Samuel is set to become a free agent in 2026, and he was the subject of trade rumors earlier this offseason.

If Aiyuk signs a long-term contract, it could potentially influence how management approaches Samuel’s future.