49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has an offer of $26 million per year on the table from San Francisco. Is that too much already?
Brandon Aiyuk reportedly feels pessimistic that he will get a new deal from the San Francisco 49ers, which could open up a treasure trove of trade talks. The Pittsburgh Steelers have sniffed around the wide receiver market all offseason, and they want to acquire a wide receiver to pair with George Pickens.
Reportedly, Aiyuk wants around $30 million per year and uses Amon-Ra St. Brown’s contract as the benchmark for his new deal. That’s a hefty price, considering Aiyuk would likely need more than $30 million to ink a deal in San Francisco, which already has multiple massive contracts. 49ers insider Mike Silver joined KNBR earlier this week and talked about the situation. He stated that the 49ers have an offer for Aiyuk, which is around $26 million annually to the star wide receiver.
“I’m hearing maybe their offer’s in the $26 million range, which, you know, it’s certainly not just Justin Jefferson money, nor should it be, but it’s closer to the DeVonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, that next tier down. They, I think, believe that he’s a really good player, who they’ve developed and they would like to have. And they think he’s one of the better receivers in the league, kind of on that next tier, obviously,” Silver said.
Silver suggests that the 49ers ceiling might be around that $30 million annually mark, which could be something that Brandon Aiyuk would sign. However, that would then open up questions about how the team would view Deebo Samuel and if he would be a trade candidate at that point. Either way, the 49ers’ contract situation will be something to watch since it directly affects what the Steelers can do on the wide receiver trade market.
If they want to land one legitimate wide receiver to pair with Pickens, it sure seems like the situation in San Francisco is the likeliest outcome right now with Aiyuk away from the team and the two sides still far apart on a new extension before the 2024 season.
