Brandon Aiyuk is sending a message to the San Francisco 49ers as the team holds their OTAs this week. Aiyuk is negotiating a long-term deal with the 49ers this offseason. It was previously rumored that the 49ers could trade Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel before the regular season.
According to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowlers, the 49ers and Aiyuk have not been able to get close on a new contract. It seems that the standoff is still very much intact at this point in time.
“This one’s tricky because he was implicated in some trade talks around the draft. He wants a new contract; has one year left. I’m told the 49ers certainly are open to doing a deal, but talks have not progressed enough where things are close. And so, is he going to show up for their workouts?
“Hard to tell right now. The market is pretty set for him. Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit did that deal recently, about $28 million a year. So, that’s something for Aiyuk and the 49ers to work off of but I’m told they’re not quite there yet.”
Aiyuk has been nothing short of phenomenal on the field the previous two seasons, as he has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in each season. Aiyuk recorded 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Per GH records, Aiyuk said this offseason he deserves to be paid for more than his on-the-field performances:
“I’m trying to get what I deserve,” Aiyuk said.
“I feel like this season, this season playing football, I figured out who I was as a person and a player — what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization.
“The value I hold when I walk in that building. People gonna follow me because I’ve done it the right way since I’ve been in that building. From the first day I walked in there to when I was in there earlier this morning.”
Aiyuk broke from “doing it the right way” on Tuesday. Per Kate Rooney for 4 News, Aiyuk and his wide receiver teammate, Jauan Jennings, were not present for voluntary workouts on Tuesday. (Samuel was there, for what that is worth.) Aiyuk was not expected to participate in OTAs while he waits for a new deal.
Mike Garafolo with the NFL Network reported the 49ers are no closer to extending Aiyuk than they were before the draft. He thinks Aiyuk could miss mandatory OTAs next month.
