“They Do Want Him”: Brandon Aiyuk’s Outburst Declared Unwarranted; Reports Suggest Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers Could Hold WR Hostage

Justin Jefferson started a ripple effect in the NFL receivers’ market after he became one of the highest-paid non-QBs a couple of days ago. Similarly, Amon-Ra St. Brown also inked a deal with the most guaranteed money in NFL history. Now, Brandon Aiyuk thinks that it’s his turn to get paid. The 49ers have shown no signs of hurrying his contract and Aiyuk is running out of patience.

He recently uploaded a TikTok of him speaking to Jayden Daniels, his former Arizona mate saying, “They [49ers] don’t want me back,” adding turbulence to what was a normal day for the San Francisco team. Many believe that Aiyuk should get the extension, but not this time around. The 49ers do want the wideout, but not at the price he desires.

Ian Rapoport did the analysis of the situation and had the same thing to say. “He surely did the posting, clearly sending a message to his former teammate and maybe everyone that in his mind, the 49ers don’t want him. But they do want him, they just want him at that price. It is not a negotiation,” said Rapoport.

Brandon Aiyuk has been a pivotal part of the Niners’ 2023 season as he amassed 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns. Also, he’s at the end of his rookie deal with the team. He’ll be taking home $14.1 million in base salary this year while carrying the same cap hit. But this is not something new for the team. For the past 5 offseasons, the Niners have waited until closer to training camp to sign their players to extension.

Whether this implies that Aiyuk is seeking a trade isn’t unclear. But the San Francisco team can place a franchise tag on him, binding him to the team. If that happens, there might be a salary bump, but the receiver’s satisfaction won’t be guaranteed.

Further updates on Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers wideout hasn’t been attending that mandatory training and has taken on a hefty fine. Just like Aaron Rodgers, the Niners receiver has raked in fines of over $101,000 for boycotting the training camp. Throughout the thick and thin, Aiyuk has been seeking advice from his counterpart Deebo Samuel, who has been in the situation before.

“At the end of the day, you want to get what you deserve, and you hope it happens,” Samuel said. “But it’s not going to happen in the timely manner that you want it to happen. It’s just a waiting game, and in this situation, you just let his agent communicate with them and they communicate back and it’s just the back and forth for a long time.”

However, Samuel also seems to be at an impasse with the 49ers because according to the recent rumors, the 49ers wanted to trade their more experienced receiver, though that didn’t happen. It’s noteworthy to mention that Samuel signed a 3-year $71.5 million extension with the Niners that he might also be looking to renegotiate.