After an offseason full of trade rumors and cryptic Instagram stories, star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to terms on a four-year $120M contract extension.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, this was not a new deal, and it had already been offered a few weeks ago.
Several times this offseason, it felt like Aiyuk could be traded at any moment. The 49ers had even agreed to terms on a trade with multiple teams for Aiyuk a few weeks ago. Still, everything fell apart because the 49ers were unhappy with the compensation, and Aiyuk did not want to go to that destination. But just like the 49ers have with all of their star players, they found a way to pay Aiyuk.
Just yesterday, the relationship between Aiyuk and the 49ers seemed unsalvageable after Aiyuk, who was expected to practice, did not participate.
Later that day, General Manager John Lynch said, “At some point, you got to play.”
In an offense that features running back and reigning offensive player of the year Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel, Aiyuk led the team in receiving yards and cemented himself as one of the most productive wide receivers in the league in 2023.
Despite ranking just 36th in targets (105), Aiyuk finished with the seventh most receiving yards in the league (1,342). Although it didn’t seem like it at times, San Francisco extending Aiyuk was always the most likely resolution to this saga.
Aiyuk now bolsters an already strong receiver group that features Samuel, Jauan Jennings, and first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall. With his situation officially in the rearview, all eyes turn to star left tackle Trent Williams, who is also seeking an increased salary.
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