The Brandon Aiyuk saga ends with him staying a San Francisco 49er, as he reportedly found common ground on the lucrative contract extension he’s been searching for.
According to multiple reports, Aiyuk’s deal is worth $120 million over the next four years. NFL Network adds that Aiyuk will be receiving $76 million in guarantees.
At one point, Aiyuk requested a trade from the 49ers, as he didn’t see them reaching an agreement anytime soon. And reports come out that the Pittsburgh Steelers had a deal in place with the 49ers, only needing Aiyuk to sign off on it as an extension was involved there.
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However, his hold-in – Aiyuk was in the facility but not practicing — from San Fran proved the right move, as he is among the highest-paid receivers in the league with an average annual value of $30 million on his extension.
Aiyuk joins a great band of star receivers who received massive extensions this offseason, including Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the new highest-paid wideout in the NFL, Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson will be making $35 million per season on his new extension, followed by Lamb ($34 million), Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown ($32 million) and St. Brown ($30.002 million).
49ERS, BRANDON AIYUK REPORTEDLY NOT FAR APART ON A DEAL
But the contract rollercoaster that has been Aiyuk’s offseason tops the rest of these receivers. On Wednesday, Aiyuk was absent from practice and tension between both sides seemed to be escalating despite the regular season being right around the corner.
The 49ers believed it was time for Aiyuk to start practicing with the regular season about to start, leading to him not being in the building on Wednesday with his teammates.
“At some point, you’ve got to play,” 49ers GM John Lynch told reporters on Wednesday.
Since July, Aiyuk, the team’s first-round pick who was set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option, expressed his want for a contract extension. Aiyuk would’ve been a free agent after the 2024 campaign if he were to just play on that fifth-year option.
And this sort of contract drama was nothing new for the 49ers, who dealt with Nick Bosa holding out last offseason, and Deebo Samuel, a player involved in trade speculation this offseason alongside Aiyuk, requested a trade in 2022 before receiving an extension.
The drama doesn’t stop here, either, as veteran left tackle Trent Williams is still holding out from the 49ers as he wants a new deal as well.
However, throughout the rollercoaster for Aiyuk, his teammates have expressed their support with George Kittle telling Fox News Digital back in April that he is certainly a No. 1 receiving option in the league, and he believes he was going to stay.
The 49ers are known for their plethora of offensive weapons, and Aiyuk is certainly one of them after notching back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He set a career high with 1,342 yards last season along with seven touchdowns in 16 games. And Aiyuk did so on just 75 receptions.
San Fran is hoping to return to the Super Bowl this season after losing in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, and having Aiyuk locked in for Week 1 is a crucial box checked for everyone involved in the organization.
Quarterback Brock Purdy will hope his blindside is protected by Williams, but he and head coach Kyle Shanahan will see No. 11 back out wide in practice this week as the team prepares for the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football” in Week 1.
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