Brandon Aiyuk wants 49ers to show how valuable he is with new contract
Aiyuk led the 49ers last season with 75 catches.
San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk is going into the final year of his contract for the 2024 NFL season and sounds frustrated that he and the team haven't agreed to a new deal yet.
Appearing on the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, the fourth-year receiver believes that talks with the 49ers haven't reflected the value he brings to the team.
"I'm trying to get what I deserve," Aiyuk said. "I feel like this season, this season playing football, I figured out who I was as a person and a player, what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization. And just the value I hold when I walk in that building."
Last season, Aiyuk led the 49ers with 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 yards (averaging 17.9 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns. He's set to make $14.124 million for the upcoming campaign.
Teammate Deebo Samuel will be paid $23.85 million next season. Can the 49ers commit that much in a multi-year deal to another receiver while also having to address an extension and significant raise for quarterback Brock Purdy?
Purdy will cost $1 million against San Francisco's salary cap next season, according to Spotrac. That's a major bargain for a starting quarterback who led his team to the Super Bowl and was viewed as an MVP candidate through most of the 2023 campaign. He'll be a free agent after the 2025 season.
The 49ers are already projected to be $23.9 million over the cap in 2025. Clearing the space to pay Purdy and maintain a competitive roster means general manager John Lynch will have tough decisions to make. Lynch insists that trading Aiyuk isn't an option he wants to pursue, however.
"We're actively talking with Brandon, trying to figure something out," Lynch told ESPN. "We have a good history of working with the guys we want to get done to get something done, and it takes two sides."
