To say Brandon Aiyuk is the biggest problem for the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason is an understatement. The talented wideout is still without a long-term contract, and he’s been pretty vocal about his frustrations over his contract.
A player of his talents will get a long-term deal worth tens of millions, but the Niners are tied up financially with paying the rest of their stacked roster with big contracts to provide him the kind of contract he deserves.
Due to the dispute almost hampering the team’s preseason preparations, it’s widely believed that the Niners would most likely trade Aiyuk away to get some value out of the wide receiver. However, recent developments suggest that the Niners think Aiyuk is too good of a wideout for the Niners to do away with him without one more try for the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers will franchise tag Aiyuk, per Adam Schefter
ESPN insider Adam Schefter gave a detailed picture of what the Niners plan to do with frustrated wideout’s contract during his most recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“The 49ers absolutely do want Brandon Aiyuk back but not at the price he’s seeking,” Schefter said. “They have always wanted him back and they were never serious about trading him… The 49ers could franchise tag Brandon Aiyuk again next year if they wanted to. Let’s see what happens when training camp is underway.”
Aiyuk’s statistics make the possible $22-million tag more than worth it. The Arizona State product was a terrific target for Brock Purdy, catching 75 passes for 1342 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. He was a key component of the Niners’ attack it’s hard to imagine the Niners not bringing him back after almost winning the Super Bowl last year.
Of course, things can change over the season, and they may finally find a more permanent fix to the Aiyuk dilemma. Until then, the Niners would have to find a way to keep him motivated to make the most out of his stay at Levi’s Stadium.
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