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San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
The San Francisco 49ers are trying to extend WR Brandon Aiyuk, but there are few positives to feel good about at the moment. Besides Aiyuk dropping cryptic, seemingly negative messages, the latest report from one of the NFL’s most prominent insiders is only piling on the bad energy.
On March 30, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo spoke on TV about the situation. Essentially, the 49ers have a lot of work to do for an extension.
“Basically it’s a little bit of a standoff right now,” Garafolo said. “Now look, this is not where the Deebo Samuel thing was, and as bad as that got with Samuel basically requesting a trade, they were still able to salvage that. So let’s not panic here, let’s not freakout, and maybe if it gets to the point where some offseason workouts and OTA’s and Brandon Aiyuk does the little finger emoji saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be walking the other way instead of going to those voluntary workouts.’”
The comment about it not being as bad as the Deebo negotiations helps. But it is still not where the 49ers want to be by any means.
Aiyuk ‘Loves’ San Francisco
After the past two years, Aiyuk has solidified himself as one of the most productive downfield threats in the NFL. While Samuel and Christian McCaffrey excel at the first level, Aiyuk has been the guy chasing down deep balls.
The 49ers had sorely needed that. However, paying that kind of player what they’re owed isn’t cheap. San Francisco has probably offered Aiyuk a considerable raise, but Garafolo’s report states that they haven’t hit his demands.
“But he does love the 49ers from my understanding, and he knows this is a team that is taking care of guys when it’s their turn. There’s no reason he feels like he shouldn’t be next,” Garafolo said. “He believes he’s one of the top wide receivers in the league, so he expects to be paid in that realm. The 49ers are not quite there at this point, so I think we’ve got some time before this one gets settled either way.”
They may be apart, but San Francisco has been relatively consistent in nailing down players to big contracts.
49ers WR Believes He is a Top Receiver in NFL
On March 28, Aiyuk joined NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson for their podcast, “The Night Cap.” When asked about his situation, Aiyuk explained why he believes he deserves a megadeal.
“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.”
There’s no question that Aiyuk has been a consistent presence for the 49ers. Even during his first two seasons, Aiyuk never dropped below 800 total yards in a season.
And at just 26 years old, it seems like his best is yet to come.
Evan Reier is a sports journalist covering the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com. He previously covered sports for the Montana Standard and was a managing editor for Outsider. More about Evan Reier
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