49ers offer Brandon Aiyuk a contract worth less than $30 million per year

Tyler Greenawalt

49ers offer Brandon Aiyuk a contract worth less than $30 million per year image

It doesn't appear that the contract standoff between the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk will end soon after the team's most recent reported offer to the star wide reciever.

Aiyuk, 26, just finished his fourth year with the 49ers and his second consecutive 75-catch, 1,000-yard season. He played an instrumental role in San Francisco's rise to the top of the NFC and the Super Bowl and now enters the final year of his rookie deal after his fifth-year option was picked up in 2023.

The 49ers offered Aiyuk a deal "in the $26 million [per year] range, The San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver told KNBR 680's "Papa & Lund" this past week. If true, that would put Aiyuk around the Cooper Kupp, DeVonta Smith or Nico Collins range among the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, per Over The Cap, or somewhere in the bottom half of the top-10. It's unclear what the actual value of the reported off would be, though.

Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown, meanwhile, signed new deals worth $30 million (St. Brown), $32 million (Brown) and $35 million (Jefferson) annually.

MORE: The NFL's highest-paid wide receivers in 2024 salary, guaranteed money and total contract value

Aiyuk's asking price isn't confirmed, but the fact he hasn't accepted the 49ers' reported offer means he probably wants something closer to the market value right now, which is between $28 million and $30 million.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler more or less confirmed this idea in late May when he reported that Aiyuk wants a deal surpassing St. Brown's four-year, $120 million contract with the Lions. Aiyuk's personal coach, former Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh told 95.7 The Game that St. Brown's contract is likely the benchmark for what Aiyuk is looking for in his next contract

"To me, if the Niners are willing to give him that contract, guaranteed [Aiyuk would sign]," Houshmandzadeh said before adding that Aiyuk is "pessimistic" about his chances to return to San Francisco.

Aiyuk made his intentions known a week ago when he skipped 49ers minicamp without a new deal in place. He joined Dallas Cowboys' wideout CeeDee Lamb and Cincinnati Bengals' wideout Tee Higgins others looking for new contracts before participating in offseason workouts.

The Aiyuk situation sets up a tough call for San Francisco this offseason between the young wideout and veteran do-it-all pass-catcher Deebo Samuel. Both were the subject of trade rumors all offseason, but neither have been moved yet. More than likely, one of the two won't be on the team by this time next year, especially after the 49ers drafted receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and re-signed receiver Jauan Jennings.

Now, it's a matter of figuring out what to do with Aiyuk in the short-term and the long-term.

Tyler Greenawalt

Tyler Greenawalt Photo

 

Tyler Greenawalt is a contributing writer for The Sporting News after stops at Yahoo Sports, USA Today Sports and Turner Sports. He’s worked in written, video, social media and augmented reality content since he graduated from Syracuse University in 2014. His favorite teams – the New York Jets, Orlando Magic and Tottenham Hotspur – always find new and exciting ways to disappoint him, and he consistently questions his fandom. You can follow his bad sports takes at @TyGreen14 on X.