Brandon Aiyuk is still in limbo regarding a new contract with the San Francisco 49ers, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The star wide receiver did not show up to minicamp and he might not be at training camp if things don’t improve. Even head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted this is just part of the business.
But with the wide receiver market increasing, Aiyuk will stand his ground.
“Brandon Aiyuk is the big one,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “We know what the wide receiver market is now, it’s looking at probably $30 million and above and he’s considered a top 10 receiver now at this point by most in the league. Both sides have had negotiations but it hasn’t really graduated to something where it’s gonna get done and it’s intensified. So they got the next six weeks over the summer before training camp trying to get it done or he might not show up based on him not showing up to mini camp as a precedent.”
As a former first-round pick, Aiyuk had a fifth-year option on his rookie deal, which the 49ers opted to exercise instead of working out a long-term deal last year. Now, he’s slated to play for $14.124 million this season, well below market value.
49ers defender Nick Bosa previously shared he reached out to Aiyuk amid the holdout. Bosa landed a five-year, $170 million deal last September.
“We chat a little bit, but not too much about the details,” Bosa said. “I just told him keep his head up and try and stay positive through it all.”
Over the course of four years, Aiyuk has 269 catches, 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14.6 yards per catch. He set a career high 1,342 yards last season, helping the 49ers reach the Super Bowl.
General manager John Lynch said at the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando this spring that the team is working on a way to make Aiyuk a 49er for the foreseeable future.
“We’re actively talking with Brandon trying to figure something out,” Lynch said. “We have a good history of working with the guys we want to get done to get something done and it takes two sides. So, can we do that? We’ll see. There’s a number of different directions that it could go but we appreciate the heck out of Brandon and who he is as a player, and we want him to be a part of the Niners. We’re going to work towards making that a reality.”
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