49ers' Deebo Samuel drops major Brandon Aiyuk contract update amid negotiation standoff
At this point, Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers have to feel a bit tired about their contract standoff. The wide receiver is still looking for a new deal, while the 49ers want to keep him - but at a lower price. The two sides still couldn't reach an agreement.
While lots of rumors are going around, including one that said that the 49ers had a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, nothing has been agreed. As such, Aiyuk remains a member of the team, which means that, when Week 1 comes, there will be some expectation that he'll be playing for the team.
Could the 49ers get back to the Super Bowl without Brandon Aiyuk on the roster? According to Deebo Samuel, this isn't a scenario that's going to happen - so San Francisco fans shouldn't worry:
“BA's gonna be a part of this team so we don't have to worry about that.”
Aiyuk joined the team one year after Samuel. He was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and while he struggled a bit in his first years, he established himself as WR1 for Kyle Shanahan's team.
Reports say that the New England Patriots had struck a deal with the 49ers and offered the most money to the wide receiver, but he declined their offer.
Why haven't the 49ers extended Aiyuk yet?
When you look at the salary cap situation of the team, it's understandable why they're wary of making any long-term commitment to Brandon Aiyuk. The San Francisco 49ers are over the 2025 cap, and there's no guarantee that the wide receiver would accept his contract to be backloaded.
We have seen plenty of wide receiver trades in the last two years and the reason is simple: you either pay your quarterback or your wide receiver. It's no surprise that names like Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown got moved in 2022: you don't want to use such a huge portion of the cap for two players alone.
He ascended to the condition of number one receiver on the team, making plays with his speed, agility and underrated route-running. The 49ers have bigger problems to fix than their wide receiver group, however, his situation is still unclear, so no one should be assured of what's going to happen in the near future until a deal is signed - whether that's with the 49ers or with another team.