Matt Maiocco believes Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall signing will result in the 49ers opting to move on from Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in the long term

Jennings signed a two-year contract worth $15.39 million with the 49ers.

Matt Maiocco believes Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall signing will result in the 49ers opting to move on from Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in the long term

Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk (Via Imago)

The San Francisco 49ers are ensuring the team has multiple offensive weapons to work with. Despite the team’s reluctance to sign Brandon Aiyuk to a long-term extension, the team offered Jauan Jennings a two-year deal recently to keep him in the Bay Area for the foreseeable future. In the draft, the team picked a potential star in Ricky Pearsall.

Pearsall, a pick hailed by Brandon Aiyuk himself will add to the wide receiver room of the team. With these additions, the San Francisco 49ers have ensured that even if Brandon Aiyuk opts to leave the team, they will be able to pick up right where they left off with the talent they have onboard.

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Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports is of the opinion that the 49ers are setting the stage to move on from Aiyuk in the long run. 

Now that we know Jauan Jennings is going to be with the club through 2025, now that we know Ricky Pearsall is going to be with the club for 4 years, at least, it really kind of crystallizes. In my mind anyway, that Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk won't be around for the long-term together...I don't think you can keep Deebo Samuel through the entirety of his contract if you're able to sign Brandon Aiyuk to a long term extension this offseason.
Matt Maiocco wrote

He believes that ultimately, the 49ers will be put in a position to choose between Samuel and Aiyuk.

Brandon Aiyuk’s contractual talks with the 49ers have come to a standstill

Despite the 49ers’ best efforts, it will be hard to offer Aiyuk a deal that exceeds Samuel’s and keep him on their roster. Samuel is currently on a three-year contract worth $71 million. His contract will end next season and then, he will be up for an extension. If the team decides to offer Aiyuk more money than Samuel’s current contract, Samuel would naturally want a bigger deal when his current contract ends.

Brandon Aiyuk (via IMAGO)

Ultimately, it seems that the 49ers will need to choose between one of their star wide receivers sooner or later. Maiocco does not believe it will be possible for the team to keep both of them aboard, especially if the team decides to offer Brandon Aiyuk a long-term deal this offseason.

This is where Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings come into the picture. The former is expected to make an immediate impact on the team’s offense, while the latter will continue to grow and improve as he stays locked in through the 2025 NFL season.

Brandon Aiyuk’s current extension talks with the team seem to be headed nowhere. While rumors continue to indicate that both sides are nearing a deal, there is no clarity with respect to the number the wideout has demanded.

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