One of the storylines that has dragged the most this offseason has been the ongoing drama surrounding Brandon Aiyuk and his contract situation with the San Francisco 49ers.
Immediately following the Niners’ Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Aiyuk and those close to him made it clear he was unhappy with his contract and its lack of financial security.
The 26-year-old, who caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season, played a key role in leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
There’s no denying his value and importance to San Francisco’s offense.
Set to enter the final year of his rookie deal, Aiyuk is slated to earn $14.1 million in 2024 thanks to the Niners picking up his fifth-year option.
However, Aiyuk just made the shocking decision to officially demand a trade.
According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Aiyuk wants out of San Francisco and has made his feelings known to general manager John Lynch and the front office.
The two sides recently had a “positive” meeting, but no real progress ended up being made.
While Aiyuk has flirted with the idea of playing elsewhere – namely in Washington with his former college quarterback Jayden Daniels, the assumption was that he was just making a public leverage play.
While Lynch and the Niners are under no obligation to give in to Aiyuk’s demands, the situation could soon get very messy.
Aiyuk has already been fined in excess of $101,000 for missing San Francisco’s mandatory minicamp.
With training camp nearly upon us, we’ll soon find out if he’s ready and willing to take his boycott a step further.
Perhaps it will be the 49ers who end up caving in the stand-off.
The entire organization knows just how talented and valuable Aiyuk is. However, it’s clear the two sides are far apart when it comes to money.
What are your thoughts on Aiyuk demanding a trade?
Do you think it’s just another leverage play to try and get San Francisco to blink?
Will Lynch and the Niners end up trading him?
Or will cooler heads prevail, and the two sides end up meeting in the middle on an extension, whether that’s before, during or after this upcoming season?
What type of contract do you think he’s truly deserving of???