Fans of the San Francisco 49ers are getting tired of hearing about the drama between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers. The star receiver is trying to negotiate a new contract with the team that would keep him with the 49ers for years to come. But so far, negotiations have moved slowly, and it hasn't been going the way Aiyuk wants it to go.
As a result, the four-year veteran has become frustrated, telling ESPN's Ryan Clark that he has taken the negotiations personally. Clark said that part of Aiyuk's frustration is, "…the way they 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 met with GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday. But there hasn't been any word about how the meeting went, until today.
Tom Pelissero, speaking on The Insiders on NFL Network, said on Wednesday, "Here's what I can tell you. Aiyuk and 49ers' brass met on Monday at Aiyuk's request. This was a good meeting. From what I was told, both sides said things that needed to be said, and they're going to keep working.
"It's important to note here, there's never been a trade request from Brandon Aiyuk. That hasn't changed. The 49ers' stance hasn't changed either, despite getting trade calls on Aiyuk going back to draft week. They're moving forward, and they want Aiyuk to be a part of the team in 2024. So what I would anticipate here is all parties involved will go ahead and enjoy the 4th of July holiday, regroup sometime after that. They've still got several weeks here to see if they can hammer out a deal that locks in Brandon Aiyuk with San Francisco for the long haul."
What are the biggest questions facing each NFC West team? We broke that down — including the latest on Brandon Aiyuk — with help from @BaldyNFL on The Insiders on @nflnetwork.
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— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 26, 2024
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Contract drama isn't anything new for the 49ers. It's been a yearly thing for them, going through this with Nick Bosa last year, and Deebo Samuel the year before. George Kittle and Fred Warner had their turns before Samuel.
In his latest mailbag for Sports Illustrated, Albert Breer responded to a fan's question about whether or not Aiyuk will be moved or stay put. "For all the reasons stated above, plus the fact that San Francisco has prioritized keeping Aiyuk all offseason, I think he'll wind up staying put," Breer wrote. "The Niners wouldn't be making the offers they have already put in front of him if they didn't want him for the long haul. I think it'll get done. It just might take some more time, and some more friction between the sides, to get there."
So even amid reports that Aiyuk isn't happy, there is some hope that things will be worked out in time for Aiyuk to get ready for the season. "Point is, a lot of posturing goes on in negotiations like these," added Breer. "The Niners went through it that summer with Samuel, even mentioning the possibility of trading him around that April's draft, and again last summer with Nick Bosa, so it's not like they're going to jam on the panic button. The best thing for a team on the cusp of the championship is to have a guy like Aiyuk, who's more of a pure No. 1 receiver than Samuel is, on board."
At least fans can take a little solace in the fact that they've been here before and that it should all be worked out soon. The question is, will the seas get a little more stormy before things finally calm down?
- Marc Adams
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Written by:Speaker. Writer. Covering the San Francisco 49ers. Host of the 49ers Camelot show.
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