Former Steelers LB speculates Brandon Aiyuk's trade value after Stefon Diggs' Texans move
Stefon Diggs' move to the Houston Texans from Buffalo Bills has the potential to reshape the wide receiver market, with the likes of Brandon Aiyuk being potential beneficiaries. The San Francisco 49ers player is expecting a new contract from the team.
However, former NFL linebacker Arthur Moats does not believe the move will have a significant impact. Highlighting his reasons, he said that Stefon Diggs already had a contract, and that was not up for discussion. But because Brandon Aiyuk wants a new contract, it is not the same thing for other teams. He contended:
"It’s not apples to apples completely because Diggs already has the contract. It was already set to where you knew what those numbers were. Where as with Brandon Aiyuk, we are still trying to figure out what is it going to take for him from a contract extension standpoint to where he feels good about it."
Will 49ers offer Brandon Aiyuk a contract extension?
Brandon Aiyuk was one of the star performers for the San Francisco 49ers team that made it to the Super Bowl this year. He has a contract until the end of the upcoming season and the franchise can exercise the fifth-year option. They can utilize the franchise tag to keep hold of him for an additional two years.
Therefore, technically, there is no need for the 49ers to offer Brandon Aiyuk a contract extension. However, they also know that by doing so, they will be alienating one of their best performers. He could simply refuse to play until he gets a satisfactory contract.
A good example of this is the contrasting way the Kansas City Chiefs handled Chris Jones' contract last year and how the New York Giants got on the wrong side of Saquon Barkley. The defensive stalwart sat out the beginning of last season, but his franchise got him a new contract. He was phenomenal in their Super Bowl run and has promised to stick around with the Chiefs for years to come.
The running back, meanwhile, was undervalued and got so sick of the team that he had no compunction in joining the Philadelphia Eagles, a divisional rival of the Giants in the NFC East.
The 49ers cannot afford such a confrontation with Brandon Aiyuk. They also might find benefit in giving him a new contract before the likes of Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase reshape the market. With Brock Purdy also still in his rookie contract, this might not be the time for them to drive too hard a bargain with a critical player.