Brandon Aiyuk finally admits 49ers could’ve had him cheaper if they would’ve shown a little bit of urgency

Aiyuk pointed out that while the 49ers kept on dragging the negotiations, other teams paid their receivers which reset the market.

Brandon Aiyuk finally admits 49ers could’ve had him cheaper if they would’ve shown a little bit of urgency

Brandon Aiyuk revealed the 49ers could have had him cheaper (Image via IMAGO)

Brandon Aiyuk will play the final year of his rookie contract with the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 season. Under the current deal, Aiyuk will earn $14.1 million in 2024, but he wanted a long-term extension, and if the 49ers showed any urgency, they could have agreed on a cut-price deal with him.

During the recent episode of the Pivot Podcast, dropped on YouTube on Friday night, Aiyuk revealed that his team and the 49ers front office kept in touch since the Super Bowl LVIII ended in February. His agent spoke for hours, pleading his case for a suitable extension, but nothing materialized.

The 26-year-old argued that if the 49ers listened to him back then instead of turning a blind eye, he would have agreed to a cheaper deal.

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I was just trying to get what I felt was appropriate for me at that time. That was early in the off-season. We couldn’t come to an agreement at that time. And on top of that other guys decided to come… they got paid. Their teams rewarded them. The market changed.
Brandon Aiyuk ranted

The guys Aiyuk hinted at were Amon-Ra St. Brown whom the Detroit Lions agreed to pay $30 million a year, and AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles, who will earn around $33 million a year.

We weren’t able to get a deal done at that time where other guys wouldn’t have affected the market. Even at that time they still did not agree with where I was at so we really have agreed this entire time.
Brandon Aiyuk said

There were rumors of even trading Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel during the 2024 Draft after the 49ers added Ricky Pearsall, who has been making waves on the training ground.

Ex-NFL general manager predicts Brandon Aiyuk’s future contract number

The 49ers tend to drag their negotiations before reaching a suitable conclusion. It happened with Nick Bosa and Deebo. With Pearsall signing a $12.5 million deal several analysts predicted that the 9ers would compare his output with Aiyuk’s in 2024. If Aiyuk could record a better number then they would be forced to pay him or release him to find a new home.

Brandon Aiyuk finally admits 49ers could've had him cheaper if they would've shown a little bit of urgency
Brandon Aiyuk (Image via IMAGO)

However, former NFL general manager Randy Mueller gave a different opinion of the situation. He suspected that the 49ers would eventually pay him the desired $30 million perhaps even more.

I expect Aiyuk would sign for around $30 million to $32 million annually with about $50 million fully guaranteed. That would give him something to hang his hat on.
Randy Mueller said per 49ers webzone

Despite his belief, Mueller threw in a caution.

The question then becomes: Do the 49ers value him that much more than their other options? Even if that cost is a bit more than what they had budgeted? I think a deal will get done before camp starts when time is of the essence.
Randy Mueller added

Brandon Aiyuk recorded a career-high 1342 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns in 2023 en route All Pro call up. He also added 149 yards and 1 touchdown in the postseason.

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