Is San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk disgruntled? That's how ESPN's Adam Schefter described him in a social media post on Monday. Schefter wrote, "49ers disgruntled WR Brandon Aiyuk is meeting today with the 49ers, as ESPN's @Realrclark25 reported on NFL Live." Ryan Clark, who is also with ESPN, broke the news on Monday that Aiyuk told him that he's been taking negotiations personally. Clark also said that Aiyuk's wants to stay in San Francisco, but he is willing to play somewhere else if the 49ers are willing to trade him.
49ers disgruntled WR Brandon Aiyuk is meeting today with the 49ers, as ESPN's @Realrclark25 reported on NFL Live.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 24, 2024
Clark mentioned on NFL Live that Aiyuk met with the 49ers on Monday and that the meeting came at his request. Schefter added that GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan were at the meeting. That information signals the importance of the meeting.
It should be noted that Clark also mentioned that when he spoke with Aiyuk, the star receiver wasn't alone. He was with Washington Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels, who is a friend and college teammate of Aiyuk. Schefter made sure to mention that the 49ers and Commanders had discussions about an Aiyuk trade back in April, but that Washington wouldn't pull the trigger.
At this point, it's unclear what was discussed in the meeting, but we can be relatively certain it had to do with money and the contract both sides are hoping to soon work out. Clark mentioned that part of Aiyuk's frustration is, "That the way they (49ers) have negotiated with him, that the way they have told him why he's worth what he's worth, it has touched him, it has affected him." Aiyuk clearly does not like how contract negotiations have gone so far. So we can safely assume that was part of the discussion.
Here's the full video on Brandon Aiyuk:
— Josh Taylor (@JoshTaylorFB) June 24, 2024
•Adam Schefter says that there was in fact discussions with the 49ers and the Washington Commanders about Brandon Aiyuk, but Washington decided to not do that deal. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/DXEtUB0uw1
This isn't the first time Daniels has been mentioned with Aiyuk. Last week, Aiyuk stirred things up by posting a video of a conversation with Daniels, in which the 49ers wide receiver said, "They said they don't want me back...I swear." Schefter has mentioned multiple times that the 49ers absolutely want Aiyuk back, but at what price? As many have pointed out already, if the 49ers didn't want Aiyuk, they would have traded him before or during the draft.
But the 49ers do want Aiyuk on their team. They just want him at the price they believe he's worth. And at this point, Aiyuk has no leverage. He can hold out, but he has to play for the 49ers this season if they choose not to trade him. And next offseason, they can franchise him, if they choose. So there's not much Aiyuk can do right now, other than what he's doing, which is trying to sway Lynch and Shanahan to give him what he believes he's worth.
Watch the full clip from NFL Live:
