General manager John Lynch addressed reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Monday, emphasizing the San Francisco 49ers' active pursuit of a contract extension for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
There has been significant speculation surrounding Aiyuk's status this offseason. The receiver is slated to play on his fifth-year option, which guarantees him $14.124 million in 2024.
While the team would be content with Aiyuk playing on that fifth-year option, it would prefer to secure the star receiver to a long-term deal before he returns to the field.
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"We're actively talking with Brandon, trying to figure something out," Lynch declared. "I always talk—we have a good history of working with the guys we want to get done to get something done, and it takes two sides. So, can we do that? We'll see.
"There's a number of different directions that it could go, but we appreciate the heck out of Brandon and who he is as a player. We want him to be a part of the Niners, so we're going to work towards making that a reality."
Lynch added, "We're talking with his guys, trying to talk about some parameters of some things. I'm not going to get into [the details]. I never do. But we're having discussions, and that's a good thing."
When asked if Aiyuk would be open to playing on the fifth-year option, Lynch responded, "We'll see. You'd have to ask him that."
Lynch refuted reports suggesting the 49ers engaged in trade discussions with other teams. Earlier this month, Mia O'Brien, a reporter for Jacksonville radio station 1010XL, claimed that the 49ers sought the Jaguars' No. 17 overall pick and wide receiver Zay Jones in exchange for Aiyuk.
Andrew Fillipponi of Pittsburgh-area radio station 93.7 The Fan later reported that the Steelers expressed interest in trading for the wide receiver. Although, that report didn't expressly state that any discussions had taken place.
"I promise you, nothing's going on there," Lynch affirmed.
Aiyuk amassed a team-leading 1,342 receiving yards last season, marking a career-high and his second consecutive season surpassing 1,000 receiving yards. He has spent his entire NFL career with the 49ers, who drafted him with the No. 25 overall pick in 2020.
"He's become a tremendous player, and he's earned everything that's going to come his way, and we're really proud of him for that. ... You just can't have everybody, but Brandon is somebody we'd love to keep around," Lynch concluded.
