Since the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk couldn’t finalize a long-term extension, the team has given him permission to explore trade opportunities with other franchises.
The central challenge now is whether Aiyuk can secure a lucrative deal from another team while also providing the 49ers with sufficient trade compensation to make a deal feasible.
If no trade materializes, Aiyuk might stay with the 49ers, either by signing a new contract or playing under his fifth-year option.
At this point, there have been no updates despite ongoing rumors about Aiyuk’s future.
“I’m not going to delve into specifics about offers, contracts, trades, or anything of that nature. But I can confirm that nothing has changed,” Coach Kyle Shanahan stated on Tuesday. “There were a lot of speculations yesterday, but from our perspective with Brandon, the situation remains the same.”
NBC Sports Bay Area reported on Monday night that the 49ers have had discussions with Cleveland and New England about possible trades, contingent on Aiyuk agreeing to a long-term contract with those teams.
Aiyuk reportedly prefers a deal with Pittsburgh, but the Steelers would need to meet the 49ers’ asking price for one of their top assets. Shanahan indicated he doesn’t expect a quick resolution.
“You always want these things to be settled quickly. Badly,” he said. “But these situations take time. Every day I hope for a resolution, but I don’t have a set timeline. It didn’t surprise me coming into this. … Hopefully, it gets sorted out sooner rather than later.”
Aiyuk skipped the entire offseason program, including a mandatory minicamp in June, as he awaited a new extension to replace the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.
He reported to training camp in late July after requesting a trade but has refused to practice. He’s attending team meetings and is not incurring fines.
Aiyuk was slated to play under a fifth-year option worth approximately $14.1 million this season but sought a long-term deal similar to those signed by other receivers this offseason. Ten receivers signed contracts worth at least $70 million before Aiyuk, with Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension with Minnesota setting the highest benchmark.
Brandon Aiyuk was a crucial component of San Francisco’s offense last season, forming a strong connection with quarterback Brock Purdy. He recorded 75 catches and a career-high 1,375 yards, along with seven touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro honors.
If Aiyuk is not available, it would be a significant setback for San Francisco, especially as they aim for a Super Bowl victory this season.
“Brandon’s a great player,” Shanahan said. “It’s tough to improve when you lose a great player. We need to evaluate all options and understand the situation, which takes time. We hope it all works out well for both him and us in the end.”
The 49ers have successfully retained their key draft picks since Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over in 2017. They’ve previously awarded substantial contracts to George Kittle, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel, and Nick Bosa over the past four years.
Negotiations have been challenging, with Warner’s talks extending into training camp, Samuel missing a few practices in 2022, and Bosa signing just days before the season opener last year.
Bosa described the negotiation process as “brutal” and had doubts about reaching a new contract at times last summer.
