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As the draft approaches, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch still sees a clear opportunity to keep wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
History might be on Lynch’s side as he made reference to 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Similar to Samuel in 2022, Aiyuk has lobbied for a contract all offseason this year.
“A couple years ago, there was a lot of talk about another receiver, Deebo. And I said the same thing but with B.A.,” Lynch told reporters on Monday. “B.A. and I have communicated on a couple of occasions, on many occasions our wish.”
“And our wish is to that he’s here and a part of the Niners for the rest of his career,” Lynch added. “We’re working through that and … as such, I was a player once, and I never liked my business being out in the public, so I’m going to respect that, so I’m not going to speak for their side.”
“I can say we’re having good talks, and I’m just going to leave it at that,” Lynch concluded.
Things didn’t go smoothly with Samuel two years ago amid a trade request, which Aiyuk hasn’t done yet. Samuel eventually signed a three-year, $71.55 million deal.
Aiyuk has a $14.12 million fifth-year option with the 49ers, and that’s well below his projected annual asking price. Spotrac projects Aiyuk for $24.9 million annually or a four-year, $99.82 million deal.
Brandon Aiyuk Has Been Public About His Contract Wishes
Aiyuk has been quite public about his contract wishes since the final whistle of the Super Bowl. His girlfriend, Rochelle Searight, and former junior college teammate, Draysean Hudson, both alluded to Aiyuk’s potential exit on social media.
Similarly, Aiyuk was non-committal with reporters during the 49ers’ locker room cleanout after the Super Bowl . He doubled down on his contract wishes during “The NightCap” podcast in March.
“If they don’t see the worth in that [makes a walking motion with hands], that’s all it is. It ain’t nothing else besides that. I can’t get into it. We got professionals working on both sides, so hopefully, we can come to a professional agreement and continue playing professional football,” Aiyuk told hosts Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe.
Lynch has maintained his desire to keep Aiyuk throughout in offseason press conferences. During the NFL annual owners meeting, Lynch said the organization won’t trade Aiyuk.
49ers Received Calls About Brandon Aiyuk
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that the 49ers have fielded calls about Aiyuk but nothing came about. Florio noted that it could ramp up again with the draft around the corner.
Lynch acknowledged that calls came in regarding Aiyuk but quickly generalized the answer.
“Sure. We receive calls for a lot of players,” Lynch said.
Lynch also emphasized that they’re “focused on Aiyuk being a part of us” and that “he’s under contract” this year. In addition, Lynch didn’t confirm or deny if the 49ers let Aiyuk seek a trade.
The 49ers drafted Aiyuk in 2020 with the No. 25 pick out of Arizona State. He has 269 receptions for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns.
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