During a recent conversation with San Francisco 49ers insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, Hall of Famer Jerry Rice suggested that 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk should play this season in a contract year and then look to get paid in 2025.
"Play football, and just let his ability speak for itself, and we'll see what happens after this season," Rice said about Aiyuk's situation, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "... That's in his control. That's what you want. So it's up to him to put him in the arena where — I'm not saying he's not already there — where he could be the highest paid. I would love to have a year like that, just to prove myself, and just to go out there and play football."
Aiyuk is in the final year of his rookie contract and watched as peers such as Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings received lucrative extensions this offseason.
Jefferson signed a four-year, $140M deal that included $110M guaranteed and made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, while St. Brown put pen to paper on a four-year agreement that included $77M in guaranteed money and could be worth up to $120M.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said earlier this month that no team thus far has been "willing to give [Aiyuk] the $30M per year he reportedly has been seeking."
ESPN's Dan Graziano mentioned on Thursday that Aiyuk seemingly "has begun to make peace with the idea of playing for San Francisco on his current contract this season if no new deal materializes."
The 49ers can retain Aiyuk's rights for 2025 via the franchise tag.
"I think the main thing for him, right now, he's just got to play his best football," Rice added about Aiyuk. "He's got to show everybody that, 'Hey, look, I'm that No. 1 guy, and if you make me that No. 1 guy, I'm gonna be productive.'"
Even if Aiyuk threatens to stay away from the 49ers through the start of regular-season play, the club could wait him out and essentially call his bluff.
In the end, Aiyuk may have to follow Rice's advice if only to avoid forfeting money amid a holdout that could become unnecessarily ugly.
