49ers' Brandon Aiyuk contract talks take a turn as trade rumors swirl

Over a month has passed since Brandon Aiyuk officially requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. The team reportedly allowed the wide receiver to negotiate terms with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, but those talks went nowhere and he stayed put.

Then, earlier this month, the Pittsburgh Steelers emerged as the frontrunners to land the All-Pro receiver, but they reportedly did not meet his asking price and are seemingly bowing out of the race to land the 49ers star.

After talking to three teams in the past month, Aiyuk is now reportedly pondering the possibility of extending his stay in the Bay Area.

Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz's latest update, the 49ers and the wide receiver had productive talks on Tuesday and are ironing out minor details before making a substantial offer to the player.

Brandon Aiyuk extending his deal with the team would be a huge relief for the 49ers, who are hoping to end their 29-year wait for a Super Bowl win.

Brandon Aiyuk to follow Deebo Samuel's lead and stay with the 49ers?

In the 2022 offseason, Samuel expected a massive extension offer from the 49ers after a stellar campaign. He caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards, and six touchdowns and played a critical role in the 49ers' run to the NFC Championship Game.

But after the team made little effort to retain his services beyond the final year of his rookie deal, Samuel officially requested a trade in April. He held out of training camp until the end of July, but surprisingly ended his impasse and signed a three-year, $71.5 million contract extension with the 49ers.

Brandon Aiyuk is seemingly following Samuel's blueprint, although the 26-year-old receiver, who had a career year in 2023, has held out slightly longer than his teammate did two years ago.

With Aiyuk's contract talks progressing, there is still a chance the star duo will don red, white, and gold and remain teammates for at least another year.

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