- Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers have been locked in a contract dispute the entire offseason.
- As of Wednesday, August 28, Aiyuk had not participated in any practices with the 49ers.
- On Thursday, August 29, the two sides agreed on a four-year contract worth $120 million, including $76 million in guaranteed money, for the wide receiver.
It has been a testy situation between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers during the entire offseason. Aiyuk wanted a new deal after coming off a career season for the 49ers.
As of Wednesday, August 28, Aiyuk had not been practicing with the team, but the resolution is finally here after both sides agreed on a new deal.
On Thursday evening, August 29, the two sides finally ended their standoff as the 49ers signed Aiyuk to a four-year deal worth $120 million, including $76 million guaranteed.
Aiyuk Stays Put in San Francisco; Does That Boost Their Super Bowl Odds?
Aiyuk has played all four seasons of his career with the 49ers, who drafted him with the 25th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has improved his numbers each year and broke out in 2023, posting 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. However, with one year left on his deal at $14 million, Aiyuk wanted to move up the list of NFL salaries among wide receivers.
This led to a head-on confrontation between Aiyuk and the 49ers, and Aiyuk didn’t take part in offseason activities, claiming he had neck and back soreness. On Wednesday, the 49ers medically cleared Aiyuk to at least practice, as he hadn’t played in any preseason games, either. That led to San Francisco general manager John Lynch saying, “at some point, you’ve got to play”, referring to Aiyuk. The 49ers have had a trade in principle with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Aiyuk, in case they couldn’t work out a deal with the receiver.
It’s interesting to note that, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Aiyuk wound up taking the same deal that the 49ers have been offering since August 12. So, Aiyuk lost 18 days of practice time with the team.
So, what does this do to the 49ers’ Super Bowl 59 odds? Not much, as of Friday morning. Their odds are still +650 at most NFL betting sites. But rest assured, the 49ers should be thrilled to have Aiyuk back in the lineup. He is the perfect foil on the other side of the field for fellow receiver Deebo Samuel. Running back Christian McCaffrey is still, arguably, the best back in the league. Quarterback Brock Purdy is adept at using all his weapons, and head coach Kyle Shanahan has full control of this offense.
It should also be said, the 49ers can splash all this money because Purdy is still on a rookie deal that pays him $3.7 million over four years. Purdy has two years until he is a free agent.
The 49ers Still Have to Deal with the Trent Williams Situation
Now that the 49ers have signed Aiyuk, they have to deal with Trent Williams. While Aiyuk has at least been in the building for the 49ers, Williams hasn’t taken part in anything at all. A Bleacher Report article reveals that Williams has been fined $50,000 per day (Aiyuk avoided those fines as he claimed he was injured). But he can afford those fines, and to sit out. Williams has made over $171 million in his 13-year career. There are also some, such as ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, who think Williams is more important to the 49ers than Aiyuk:
Williams is an 11-time Pro Bowler that has been First-Team All-Pro in each of the last three seasons. He has three years left on his deal, but NBC Sports Bay Area believed Williams wants a contract with more guaranteed money. Williams is also sixth among offensive linemen in terms of money, and like Aiyuk, he wants to move up that list as well.
While the York family aren’t on the list of the NFL’s richest owners, they’re splashing the cash while they have Purdy on his rookie deal. He’s going to want to get paid soon, so the 49ers are officially in win-now mode while they have all this talent. But they really have to sort out the Williams situation, with NFL Week 1 just six days away from starting.
