Have you ever made a big purchase, only to regret it long after the return window closed? According to Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox, the San Francisco 49ers may be feeling that kind of buyer's remorse with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Only this investment came with a $120 million price tag over four years.
Aiyuk's contract standoff was the 49ers' top offseason storyline in 2024, and the team ultimately gave in with a massive deal. With the advantage of hindsight, Knox ranked the agreement among the 10 worst contracts in the NFL heading into the 2025 season, coming in at No. 7, suggesting the 49ers were pressured into finalizing the deal as they pushed for another Super Bowl run.
That bet didn't pay off.
The 49ers finished a disappointing 6-11, and Aiyuk played just seven games before suffering season-ending ACL and MCL injuries. Now, with his $30 million-per-year salary—tied with Tyreek Hill for seventh-highest in the NFL, per Over the Cap—his contract is looking like a significant burden on San Francisco's books.
"Aiyuk had flashed high-end potential in his first four seasons," Knox wrote. "He topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2022 and had 1,342 receiving yards in 2023. However, he had yet to establish himself as a top-tier receiver or a perennial Pro Bowler."
While Aiyuk is among the NFL's highest-paid wideouts, Knox doesn't believe he ranks as high when it comes to performance or skill set.
"He showed that by failing to live up to his contract, when healthy, this past season," Knox wrote. "Aiyuk had just 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games."
Aiyuk isn't even expected to be fully recovered in time for the start of the 49ers' 2025 campaign. There remains uncertainty around how much he'll be able to contribute this year.
"Making this deal even worse is the fact that the 49ers don't have a clean out until 2027, when they can eat $21.2 million in dead money to save $20.2 million in cap space," Knox added.
