San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was seen celebrating after the Detroit Lions signed their star wideout, Amon-Ra St. Brown, to a lucrative four-year contract extension. This led many to speculate that Aiyuk, awaiting his own deal, views St. Brown's contract as a benchmark that strengthens his position at the negotiating table.
According to a new report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, that speculation may very well be accurate. Aiyuk is likely seeking a deal similar to, if not exceeding, the one St. Brown received.
"I was told the benchmark here is Amon-Ra St. Brown," Fowler said during "NFL Live," per Bleacher Report. "He got $28 million a year on a four-year from Detroit. The goal appears to be to try to beat that. He doesn't have to be the highest paid in the league, but he's done enough and he's accomplished enough in that offense to where he is probably going to need to be at that number or higher."
If the 49ers want to avoid Aiyuk's price increasing further, it would benefit them to finalize a deal sooner rather than later. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer recently speculated that Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson's impending deal could potentially reach the $90-$100 million range over three years, resetting the receiver market.
"And, of course, if he signs before CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk and Tee Higgins, you can expect the price tag on those guys to rise a bunch, too," Breer noted.
Aiyuk is coming off a career season where he recorded a team-leading 1,342 receiving yards. It was his second consecutive season surpassing the 1,000-yard mark, proving to the NFL world that he can be a top wideout in the league.
Aiyuk did not join his teammates for organized team activities this week, remaining away during the negotiation process. Multiple recent reports, including one from Fowler, have stated that the two sides remain far apart in their talks.
"I'm told the 49ers certainly are open to doing a deal, but talks have not progressed enough where things are close," Fowler said.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo recently added, "Every sense that I've gotten from speaking to folks familiar with the progress of talks is that they are not close at this point."
