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Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver,
Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to
Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver
Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his recent social media activity as a clear indicator of dissatisfaction.
"Obviously, Brandon Aiyuk wants a contract extension, deserves a contract extension," Rapoport said Monday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access."
The insider also pointed out that Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith's recent three-year contract extension, averaging $25 million annually, establishes a baseline for Aiyuk's potential deal.
While there have been trade rumors this offseason, the 49ers have denied that any serious discussions have taken place. At least, that was the case last month.
"
I promise you, nothing's going on there," general manager John Lynch affirmed.
Rapoport mentioned that Aiyuk's agent, Ryan Williams,
shot down a sketchy rumor over the weekend stating that the receiver had requested a trade.
"Obviously, there have been some teams, though, who know that all is not well, who know that he wants a contract extension, some receiver-needy teams who have inquired over the course of the last several months to see [if he could] be available," Rapoport shared. "To my knowledge, the 49ers have not entertained any of those talks. But until and unless an extension gets done, that is going to persist.
"So, we will continue to wait for Brandon Aiyuk to get paid, as he so richly deserves, and to see whether or not he decides to hit that follow-back button."
Next week's draft presents a pivotal moment in the talks between Aiyuk and the 49ers. If he remains on the roster after the draft, it signals the team's confidence in reaching a deal. After all, trading Aiyuk for future draft picks wouldn't benefit the 49ers this year.
Aiyuk is set to earn $14.124 million on a team-exercised fifth-year option in 2024. Naturally, both parties prefer to reach a long-term agreement before the receiver retakes the football field. Would Aiyuk consider playing under the fifth-year option?
"We'll see. You'd have to ask him that," Lynch told reporters.
Related News
To say there was a lot of speculation surrounding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk heading into the 2024 NFL Draft would be an understatement. Many believed a trade involving the team's leading receiver from last season might be in the works.
In the end, Aiyuk remained on the 49ers' roster once the draft concluded, indicating a likelihood of him staying with the team at least through the upcoming season. San Francisco remains committed to negotiating a long-term deal for the fifth-year wideout.
Last week, Ian Rapoport joined NFL Network and was asked for an update on the Aiyuk situation. The
Rumors circulated before and during the 2024 NFL Draft about the possibility of the San Francisco 49ers losing one of their top two wide receivers—Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. Such a scenario could have significantly impacted the team's success in the upcoming season and posed a potential blow for quarterback Brock Purdy, who has thrived alongside the dynamic duo on the field.
However, none of these speculations came to fruition. Both Aiyuk and Samuel remain on the roster, at least for another season, though their future beyond that remains uncertain.
Aiyuk is seeking a contract extension that would position him among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. At the same time, Samuel already commands a significant salary following a deal rework in 2022.
The San Francisco 49ers need wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. And Aiyuk needs the 49ers. But the two sides are reportedly not close on a new deal that would keep the star receiver in San Francisco for years to come.
Sunday morning, on SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the 49ers and Aiyuk are not close in contract negotiations, leading many to wonder if Aiyuk will hold out (not show up) or hold in (show up but not participate) for the remainder of the offseason and even training camp.
"This one's tricky because he was implicated in some trade talks around the draft," Fowler said. "He wants a new contract; has one year left. I'm told the 49ers certainly are open to doing a deal, but talks have not progressed enough where things are close. And
New 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen may not have all the answers yet in regards to how his defense will perform in the upcoming season, but it sounds like his approach will remain largely similar to what the team has done in the past under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Sorensen held his first media session as 49ers defensive coordinator before the team's rookie minicamp on Friday and provided a glimpse on how he wants his defense to look once they take the field in September. The plan is to show the NFL that the 49ers haven't changed much in terms of intensity and flying to the ball.
"I want them to see we're still the standard of what we've always been -- an attacking defense that plays fast," Sorensen said. "We play violent. We play with speed, and we
