Getty San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk
The San Francisco 49ers have a roster that almost any NFL team would love to have, but bringing back wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk could be a challenge. The former Arizona State WR has come into his own in San Francisco, but he is due big bucks soon.
The presence of tight end George Kittle, WR Deebo Samuel and running back Christian McCaffery means he’s not solo in the spotlight, but he has established himself as a top-level NFL receiver over the past two years all the same. Now, 49ers salary cap analyst Jason Hurley believes the Niners will have to say goodbye to several players to keep him and recently acquired defensive end Chase Young.
“I mean yeah [the 49ers] could make it work, would mean some combo of Lenoir, Gregory, Banks, & Hufanga are gone, or let to test FA, Gregory would be cut, you wouldn’t want 3 DEs making $14M+ a yr,” Hurley explained on X on October 31. “Plus you have Javon making $21M a yr, and AA likely to be extended next year, $17M a yr IMO, he might take a pay cut to stick around, he’s a good player, I don’t get the hate of Armstead. But it’s doable, just means we lose some players, Gregory for sure is cut.”
@patoholloway Plus you have Javon making $21M a yr, and AA likely to be extended next year, $17M a yr IMO, he might take a pay cut to stick around, he’s a good player, I don’t get the hate of Armstead. But it’s doable, just means we lose some players, Gregory for sure is cut.
There was no way San Francisco we’re going to keep the entire roster intact after 2023. There’s simply too much money being paid, and due, to top players. How they go about that objective is what’s undecided.
Aiyuk on Pace for Career Year
In 2022, Aiyuk reached a career milestone by hitting the 1000-yard receiving mark. He had put up 748 and 826 receiving yards in his first two years, but that was a considerable step up. He appears to be taking another step in 2023.
Through 10 games, Aiyuk has totaled 881 receiving yards. Pro Football Reference shows that his catch percentage (69.2%) has never been better. Further, he’s averaging a whopping 19.6 yards per reception.
The 49ers had sorely lacked a serious downfield threat, and Aiyuk is that guy. Samuel is a fantastic WR in many ways, but his size and profile are not that of a deep-ball receiver.
The connection with a young QB in Brock Purdy is just as important. The 49ers could let Aiyuk walk in favor of other players, but ending that link doesn’t seem like a good move.
49ers’ Cap Situation, Aiyuk’s Contract
As a first-round pick, the 49ers have a fifth-year option on his contract. However, activating that will mean Aiyuk will make $14.12 million in 2024, according to Spotrac. He’s earned that kind of money. But San Francisco can backload his next deal and keep that number down in 2024.
Spotrac estimates his market value to be around $20 million a season. The fifth-year option is a steal in that sense. But it just delays the next contract and Aiyuk could continue to improve, raising his cost.
Handing him a long-term deal means San Francisco can keep his cap hit to even less than $14 million. They will still owe him a lot longterm, but they can keep more of a core for 2024. Considering San Francisco is projected to be $14.34 million over the cap limit next year already, San Francisco will need to get creative to make it work.