Brandon Aiyuk "misinterpreting" 49ers situation in stalled contract talks, claims NFL insider
Brandon Aiyuk might feel that the San Francisco 49ers don't want him back, but an NFL insider claims that is not the case at all. On the Pat McAfee show, Adam Schefter said that the team wants him back and had contract negotiations with him all during the offseason. They were reportedly even close to a deal at one point.
But then Justin Jefferson signed a monster contract, and the talks were blown out of the water. The Vikings player inked a $140 million deal for four years, equating to $35 million per year on average. The 49ers player probably wants to be paid accordingly. Adam Schefter said:
"For the record, the 49ers absolutely do want Brandon Aiyuk back despite what he says — They've had contract talks throughout the offseason.
"And at one point, it seemed like they were closing in on a deal only to see the wide receiver market explode — I think the number might have shifted in Brandon Aiyuk's mind, but the Niners have always wanted him back."
The NFL insider also added that the 49ers do not want to trade their star player as they want to go on another Super Bowl run. But with the market having shifted, they probably don't agree on the numbers, even though they want him here. Here's the latest situation as it reportedly stands:
"Niners never were serious about trading him and they want him back. But the problem is they can't get a deal done right now. So Brandon Aiyuk is interpreting that as they don't want me anymore.
"No, they want him here. They don't still want him at the number that he wants to be there at, with what the wide receivers are going for in this day."
Where should 49ers land on Brandon Aiyuk's contract value?
Brandon Aiyuk reportedly wants to match or top Amon-Ra St. Brown's deal with the Lions, which is $120 million over four years.
That's $30 million a season. But the Detroit star has amassed 3,588 yards in 49 games and has 21 touchdowns, whereas his 49ers counterpart has 3,931 yards in 62 games and 25 touchdowns. Those numbers are similar despite the San Francisco wide receiver having played 13 more games.
And that might be the holdup in the number that they are facing. One workaround for the 49ers could be to give him what he wants but backload the contract and keep Aiyuk happy.
Then they could trade him to another team later if he does not perform when further market movement would likely offset the higher annual average value.