As the 2024 NFL Draft approached, there was rampant speculation that Brandon Aiyuk, the standout wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers entering his contract year, might be traded.
However, the draft has concluded, and Aiyuk remains with the 49ers.
General Manager John Lynch and the 49ers are not looking to trade Aiyuk; instead, they are focused on securing him for the long term. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is actively working towards a contract extension for Aiyuk and intends to keep him on their roster.
“Now, it looks like the 49ers are committing to Aiyuk for the foreseeable future,” Rapoport noted, suggesting a strong inclination to retain the receiver.
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Recent contracts for similar high-profile receivers, such as DeVonta Smith’s three-year, $75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, set a market precedent, despite Smith not having an All-Pro selection like Aiyuk. This puts Aiyuk in a position to aim for a significant contract, potentially aligning with or exceeding the benchmarks set by peers like Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Despite previous rumors of a trade request during stalled negotiations, Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, dismissed such speculation last month. In 2023, Aiyuk had a breakout season, catching 75 passes for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, earning his first All-Pro selection and surpassing Deebo Samuel as the primary receiver on the 49ers’ depth chart.
The trade rumors intensified when Aiyuk sent a “cryptic” tweet to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, leading to a flurry of media speculation about his intentions. Aiyuk later clarified on the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson that the tweet was in jest.
“Every day, there’s new talk about me being involved in trade discussions with different teams. I thought I’d have a little fun with it and engage with one of the rumors,” Aiyuk explained. “It was all in good fun. That’s all there was to the tweet with Tomlin.”