Getty San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
The San Francisco 49ers will stand firm on their plans for Brandon Aiyuk after his trade request, according to a new report. The two sides have been negotiating through the offseason, but things came to a head in the past week.
Aiyuk is coming off his best NFL season yet. But ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote that there is a gap in terms of how he and San Francisco view his next contract.
“The 49ers do not want to and do not intend to trade Brandon Aiyuk despite the fact that he has asked the team officially to move on from him. And really, what this comes down to is, there is a disagreement on his value. The wide receiver market this offseason has shifted in front of everybody’s eyes,” Schefter said July 17 on “NFL Live.” “If you look at all the wide receiver deals that have gotten done and the average annual salaries paid to wide receivers, you will see that the number has grown very much, and very quickly to the point where what the Niners are offering Brandon Aiyuk isn’t in there.”
Building rosters that can compete for titles is difficult, especially when it comes to paying everyone. With three players — Trent Williams ($31.6 million), Deebo Samuel ($28.6 million) and Nick Bosa ($14.7 million) — taking up 29% of the team’s payroll, finding money in the wallet to pay for Aiyuk is not easy.
Aiyuk Could Remain in San Francisco for 2 More Seasons
Regardless of what comes next in the Aiyuk saga, the 49ers do hold a key advantage: the franchise tag. Schefter explained how San Francisco can continue to keep Aiyuk through the 2025 season.
“Plus, Brandon Aiyuk has one year left on his deal,” Schefter said. “The Niners can tag him after that particular time. And so they have his contractual rights for at least this season and more if they opt to use it that way.”
Over the Cap projects the 2025 franchise tag salary for WRs to be at $24.8 million. That’s a big number, but Aiyuk clearly wants to be paid like an elite WR and that salary would put him in the Top 10 highest-paid receivers and ahead of his teammate Samuel.
But having that leverage is critical all the same for the 49ers. While Aiyuk could refuse to participate, San Francisco has complete control over him until the 2026 offseason.
49ers Receive Trade Request from Aiyuk
On July 16, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo was the first to report Aiyuk’s trade request.
“Source: #49ers All-Pro WR Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade after an offseason of unsuccessful attempts to reach an extension,” Garafolo tweeted. “Despite a recent meeting, the Niners haven’t been willing to engage in negotiations since May so Aiyuk has respectfully asked out.”
A trade was always a possibility. But the presence of the franchise tag and Aiyuk’s success with San Francisco seemed to signal that he would be as patient as possible. But with the NFL regular season less than two months away, he is forcing the issue.
It’s hard to blame him, as he certainly deserves a high-end contract after his second-team All-Pro campaign in 2024. But whether or not the 49ers will pay or trade him remains to be seen.