End Of An Era: wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk announced his departure today….
The 49ers’ prospects of letting go of Brandon Aiyuk appear to be dwindling daily.
There is still a lot of trade talk about San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the internet with one week until the 2024 NFL Draft, but Aiyuk’s agent Ryan Williams has been steadfast in dispelling the speculations.
Williams dismissed the idea that there has been interest in selling the receiver after shooting down a story earlier in the week that Aiyuk had requested a move. He labeled a report that the Steelers are actively seeking his client as “fictional journalism.”
The 49ers are still adamant that Aiyuk would be with the team, most likely for a long time, but the trade speculations seem to have cooled ahead of the draft after the receiver’s agent rejected many attempts to make a trade.
The NFL Draft, which takes place in one week, will be the real turning point, but when a player is seeking a trade, you often don’t see an agent publicly refute trade rumors about his client.
Naturally, the teams’ concerns are: how much will the receiver’s extension cost them, and when will he receive it?
These are pertinent and reasonable issues because several talented receivers are still trying to sign extensions this offseason, such as
Justin Jefferson of Minnesota and CeeDee Lamb of Dallas.
The longer Aiyuk waits to sign a long-term contract, the more likely it is that his deal will get bigger. This is because new player extensions will likely set the standard for the receiver’s contract; Devonta Smith of Philadelphia, for example, set a good baseline with his three-year, $75 million extension earlier this week.
However, it’s important to take seriously the fact that Aiyuk’s agent has repeatedly denied trade rumors, suggesting that he will choose to stay in San Francisco rather than try to push his way out before the draft.
It’s also crucial to remember that 49ers general manager John Lynch has stated publicly that the team is open to using Aiyuk’s fifth-year option. Adding to the likelihood that the recipient will stay with the company in 2024 if the parties are unable to agree on an extension.
