Potential touchdown spots for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
Potential touchdown spots for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
Sports activities Severely
Brandon Aiyuk’s summer time of discontent has apparently culminated with a request that the San Francisco 49ers let him go.
If solely that made a lick of sense for the reigning NFC champions.
Coming into his fifth NFL season on the heels of a breakout displaying in 2023, Aiyuk has explicitly requested the Niners for a commerce, in keeping with NFL Community’s Mike Garafolo. A primary-round decide in 2020, the field-flipping extensive receiver is now solely underneath contract for the 2024 marketing campaign – the fifth-year choice of his rookie contract set to pay him $14.1 million.
It’s solely pure that Aiyuk could be seeing a lot greater greenback indicators at some extent when he’s most likely cracked the dialog as one of many league’s high 10 wideouts – and the positional market now dictates he’s price double what he’s scheduled to make this 12 months given the mega-deals lately signed by friends like Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith. All will common not less than $25 million yearly on their new multi-year offers.
Happily for the 49ers, they maintain almost the entire playing cards in what’s quick devolving right into a coaching camp showdown with certainly one of their higher gamers. However there’s little purpose for the membership to blink given the leverage – and championship potential – it holds.
A lot as Aiyuk may need out, listed below are 5 explanation why San Francisco shouldn’t commerce him:
No group is in win-now mode greater than the 49ers
GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have spent seven years constructing the franchise to the purpose the place it’s a perennial Tremendous Bowl contender – San Francisco advancing not less than so far as the NFC championship sport in 4 of the previous 5 seasons and twice developing brief within the Tremendous Bowl towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. 5 months in the past, the Niners succumbed to Okay.C. in time beyond regulation of Tremendous Bowl 58 or – relying in your perspective – have been doubtlessly thwarted by a blocked extra-point try within the fourth quarter. Regardless, powerful to argue the 49ers couldn’t be a lot nearer to snatching a sixth Lombardi Trophy – which might match the file presently held collectively by the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coming off his finest skilled season (75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven TDs), Aiyuk definitely initiatives as a significant part of a possible championship equation in 2024.
San Francisco should leverage its Brock Purdy monetary window
One purpose the 49ers are in prime place to win all of it is that their quarterback, Professional Bowler Brock Purdy – “Mr. Irrelevant” because the 262nd and ultimate collection of the 2022 draft – is because of make a meager (by NFL requirements) $985,000 this season. Purdy shouldn’t be eligible for the profitable extension more likely to enhance his compensation fiftyfold till subsequent 12 months. His miniscule wage permits San Francisco to hold 10 different gamers – together with Aiyuk – with 2024 cap hits of $8 million or extra, All-Professional LT Trent Williams ($31.6 million) and WR Deebo Samuel ($28.6 million) heading that listing. Six of these guys have contracts that common not less than $19 million per 12 months.
And enterprise has been good – and may solely get higher – given the inextricable success of Purdy and Aiyuk. Within the 20 regular-season video games they’ve performed collectively since Purdy turned the group’s starter in Week 13 of the 2022 season, the duo has attached 94 instances for 1,634 yards and 9 scores in an offense replete with weapons – Aiyuk clearly overtaking Samuel as the first go catcher in 2023. And whereas Purdy and Aiyuk are each drastically underpaid relative to their positional worth, replicating their success in 2024 may very properly imply even greater raises in 2025 … maybe with a championship premium connected.
It makes little sense to deal Aiyuk now
Hypothesis about Aiyuk’s future with the group has run pretty rampant for months, and groups have been calling Lynch round this 12 months’s draft – when, clearly, no deal materialized. Barring a blockbuster provide that couldn’t be ignored, it’s tough to sq. why the Niners would now settle for (presumably) draft property that received’t assist them for greater than a 12 months given how shut they appear to be – with Aiyuk within the combine – to profitable their first Tremendous Bowl in 30 years. And good as Aiyuk is, it may be exhausting for different groups to supply a first-rounder or a number of picks for a participant who’s thrived in a loaded offense however must show anew he could possibly be the principle menace amid what would invariably be a lesser supporting solid.
The 49ers can most likely climate a holdout
Aiyuk has not but signaled he plans to carry out of coaching camp, San Francisco veterans set to report July 23. If he does, he’d be topic to $50,000 fines for day by day of his absence. A sport of hen may all the time seep into the common season and missed sport checks, too. But with Purdy surrounded by Samuel, All-Professional RB Christian McCaffrey, All-Professional TE George Kittle, first-round WR Ricky Pearsall and Tremendous Bowl hero Jauan Jennings, this offense would hardly be crippled with out Aiyuk, who may primarily damage his bargaining energy and checking account with an prolonged hiatus.
There’s nonetheless time to strike a deal
In response to Garafolo, San Francisco tabled negotiations with Aiyuk in Might. Nonetheless the 49ers have proven a sample lately of hammering out extensions within the summertime – Kittle, Samuel (who additionally requested for a commerce), LB Fred Warner and DE Nick Bosa coming to agreements in July or later, Bosa’s huge payday (5 years, $170 million) touchdown on the eve of the 2023 season.
Purdy would be the precedence subsequent 12 months, when some cost-cutting elsewhere will probably be unavoidable to accommodate his subsequent contract. However, per Over The Cap, San Francisco nonetheless has greater than $30 million in wage cap house at its disposal this 12 months … and possibly an excellent chunk will but go to Aiyuk, whom Lynch has constantly mentioned he needs to maintain within the Bay Space.
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Observe USA TODAY Sports activities’ Nate Davis on X, previously Twitter, @ByNateDavis.