ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes the San Francisco 49ers might resort to a contentious tactic to retain wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, even if they can’t reach a long-term contract agreement.
As training camp approaches, the 49ers and Aiyuk are far from finalizing a deal. A former NFL executive recently detailed why Aiyuk lacks significant leverage at this stage. Whether Aiyuk will hold out during the preseason or regular season remains uncertain.
Brandon Aiyuk was told he was on a different page
As mentioned earlier on GH, Aiyuk revealed that the 49ers front office was not optimistic this past spring about finalizing a deal before the season started. Aiyuk stated, “They told me they didn’t think we were on the same page and didn’t believe we were going to reach an agreement at that time. But that’s part of contract negotiations, with both sides trying to sway things in their favor. So, whether that’s entirely true or not, I guess we’ll find out.”
The WR market changed during the offseason
On Monday’s episode of the Pat McAfee Show, Schefter mentioned that the 49ers are keen on retaining Aiyuk, but the market conditions have changed since their previous discussions earlier this offseason. “The 49ers have always wanted Aiyuk back. Their plan has been to keep him, but the shifting wide receiver market complicates things,” Schefter said. “It’s more challenging to finalize a deal now than it was a few months ago. Brandon Aiyuk believes he should earn as much as the top receivers, while the 49ers have their own budget in mind.”
The San Francisco 49ers could use another weapon
Schefter believes the 49ers might use the franchise tag to pressure Aiyuk.
“So now, when you start to sit down, figure out the guaranteed money,” Schefter said. “Again, the franchise tag here is a weapon for the 49ers, which is not what the franchise tag was intended to be. But again, that’s the 49ers’ advantage.”
Using the franchise tag would cost the 49ers $21.8 million next year. Aiyuk is set to make just over $14 million this season. Essentially, the 49ers would save a significant amount by opting for the franchise tag instead of paying Aiyuk the $26 million they reportedly offered him this offseason—far less than the Amon-Ra St. Brown-level contract he desires.
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