What does skyrocketing WR market imply for Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers contract talks?

Ultimately, Brandon Aiyuk will receives a commission.

All the highest receivers do, and there is little doubt that San Francisco’s most focused receiver in one of many prime NFL offenses belongs within the dialog among the many NFL’s finest pass-catchers.

The query is whether or not it is the 49ers or another staff that can pay Aiyuk.

Previously couple of years, the 49ers have paid the staff’s different playmakers, together with Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and fellow receiver Deebo Samuel, who was in Aiyuk’s state of affairs two years in the past. That grew to become a contentious negotiation throughout which Samuel requested to be traded earlier than in the end agreeing to a three-year, $73.5 million deal.

After his second straight 1,000-yard receiving season, Aiyuk will make $14.1 million in 2024 on his fifth-year choice. Samuel is scheduled to be the Niners’ highest-paid offensive participant at $21.9 million in complete compensation, adopted by left sort out Trent Williams ($20.9 million), McCaffrey ($16 million), Aiyuk ($14.1 million) and tight finish George Kittle ($14 million).

Now take into account that Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson simply signed a four-year extension for $140 million. That is a mean annual worth of $35 million. A.J. Brown averages $32 million per 12 months, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyreek Hill common $30 million and, along with his new deal, Jaylen Waddle now averages $28.25 million.

The receiver market is blowing up.

In the meantime, Aiyuk didn’t present as much as the staff’s necessary minicamp this week and will incur fines as much as $101,716.

“Some guys come as a result of they need to keep away from a high quality, and a few do not,” coach Kyle Shanahan stated. “We all know what the method is, we all know what the enterprise half is, and that is simply how they determine how they need to deal with this week.”

Samuel stated he is talked with Aiyuk to supply his perspective.

“I do know it is a disturbing time and he is finished an incredible job all through his profession right here,” Samuel stated. “In relation to issues like this, it will get robust. Some stuff you form of take private, and total, it is only a disturbing course of, to be sincere with you.”

It could have gotten extra disturbing for Aiyuk on Tuesday, when the 49ers introduced a contract extension with do-everything operating again McCaffrey. It is reportedly a two-year, $38 million addition to his present contract that pays him $24 million in assured cash. The deal places McCaffrey on the prime of the operating again market at $19 million yearly and retains him in San Francisco till 2027, when the Stanford product will likely be 31 years outdated.

Christian McCaffrey agrees to $38 million extension with 49ers

Paying McCaffrey is a no brainer for Shanahan and common supervisor John Lynch. The NFL’s Offensive Participant of the 12 months in 2023 led the league in scrimmage yards (2,023) and complete touchdowns (21). He represented 30% of his staff’s offense final season.

However San Francisco additionally gave No. 3 receiver Jauan Jennings a two-year, $15.4 million deal. The 49ers just lately signed pass-catching tight finish Logan Thomas to a one-year deal. They usually drafted receivers Ricky Pearsall within the first spherical and Jacob Cowing within the fourth spherical, presumably to guard themselves if negotiations go bitter with Aiyuk and his representatives.

Lynch stated after the draft that the staff had moved on from presumably buying and selling Aiyuk or Samuel, who addressed the draft-night rumors when speaking with reporters this week.

“I heard it,” Samuel stated. “I had a dialog with my agent about it. They had been going backwards and forwards with it, whoever it was. It was a factor at first, however we’ll transfer previous it. We’re right here, and we’re right here to get higher.”

With San Francisco already rating among the many NFL’s prime 5 in complete compensation for the receiver room, maybe Aiyuk has outpriced what the staff desires to spend? He reportedly seeks a contract that can pay him effectively north of $25 million yearly.

Quarterback Brock Purdy posted a 124.0 QB score final season when focusing on Aiyuk, who had 75 receptions for 1,342 yards, 7 touchdowns and a career-high 17.9 yards per catch. So are the 49ers ready to make him their highest-paid participant offensive participant? Is Aiyuk extra worthwhile than McCaffrey?

These are questions Shanahan and Lynch should work by as they work out an equitable deal for the staff and the participant.

Ought to Brandon Aiyuk maintain out for a deal?

Should Brandon Aiyuk hold out for a deal?

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FOX Sports activities NFL analyst Bucky Brooks notes that again within the Nineties, Mike Holmgren and the Inexperienced Bay Packers would draft younger receivers who match their West Coast scheme as an alternative of paying huge cash for established stars. With the rising receiver market, possibly that technique will come again round.

“It has been confirmed now that these huge receivers can come from faculty and soar in, like Puka Nacua, and have manufacturing,” Brooks stated. “And so, do the huge receivers start to turn into just a little extra just like the operating again, the place you pay for the highest guys, however with the opposite guys, you get to a degree the place you are like, ‘Nah, I could draft a man.'”

Andy Reid, a former Holmgren assistant who runs a variation of the West Coast offense, took that philosophy with him to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, which ultimately led to them buying and selling electrical playmaker Tyreek Hill.

Shanahan additionally runs a variation of the West Coast offense. Might he be pondering the identical factor about Aiyuk? Time will inform.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Observe him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.