Brandon Aiyuk‘s 49ers impasse has veered closer to the arc Deebo Samuel‘s traversed two years ago. The younger San Francisco receiver standout has now requested a trade and begun a hold-in effort, mirroring where Samuel’s saga went in 2022.
The fifth-year wideout stood on the sideline and watched practice Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. John Lynch had said he expected everyone to practice, pointing to the Aiyuk matter taking this logical next step. Samuel held in for a few days two years ago but landed an extension. Aiyuk’s talks have continued to reveal a value gap, with his trade request emerging much later in the offseason compared to Samuel’s.
[RELATED: At Least Five Teams Interested In Aiyuk]
But the 49ers’ leading wide receiver from last season is at training camp, avoiding fines. Since the 2020 CBA made holdouts harder to stage, players have gotten around that language by showing up and not participating. The 49ers have now seen Samuel and Aiyuk hold in and Nick Bosa stage a true holdout, one that did not end until days before last season began.
Samuel signed his three-year, $71.55MM extension on July 31, 2022. Both he and D.K. Metcalf held in that year, with each seeing three-year deals to wrap those short periods. Aiyuk, 26, has been tied to wanting far more. The 49ers have identified a $26-$27MM-per-year price range, and Aiyuk has been tied to wanting a deal at or around $30MM and guarantees that come in around A.J. Brown‘s $84MM. Extension talks, which have produced more rumors compared to Samuel’s two years ago, have not progressed despite having begun months ago.
The 49ers having come to terms with Samuel and Bosa after stretches of non-participation in camp provides a roadmap to an Aiyuk resolution, and the 2023 team’s leading receiver being at camp does as well. The 49ers have repeatedly said Aiyuk, who is tied to a $14.12MM fifth-year option, is in their 2024 plans.
Aiyuk signing an extension would move Samuel to uncertain territory, with the prospect of the elder wideout — who is heading into his age-28 season — being moved to the trade block to accommodate an Aiyuk deal and a Brock Purdy extension in 2025 having been rumored at points this offseason. Ricky Pearsall, who briefly played with Aiyuk at Arizona State, appears in place as a long-term successor to either Aiyuk or Samuel.
Although the 49ers listened on Aiyuk and Samuel during the draft, they are attempting to run it back with the receiving duo they assembled four years ago. Aiyuk can use the prospect of a 2025 franchise tag against the 49ers, who are projected to be nearly $40MM over the 2025 salary ceiling. He has indicated an expectation of playing for the 49ers this season. It may be a bit before Aiyuk goes through drills and team work, and how this latest WR negotiation concludes will have long-term implications for the franchise.
This hold-in practice is strange. The league allows for players to show up & not work to avoid fines? Ok.
I get it, he’s roughly 50% under valued according to the market. I would want proper compensation as well.
Don’t know if all the hold-ins do this (I’d assume so since I can’t think of any other way to loophole it) but I think they say they have an “injury” that prevents them from practicing. Presumably minor stuff that there’s no real way to test or scan for. Like if the player is complaining of soreness or pain, the NFL/teams can’t really prove the player isn’t suffering from it unless they go out and post pictures/videos of them doing stuff.
He wants that money Art!
Just like regular practice except he refuses to catch the passes. Let’s em sail on bye … shrewd.
For all of those commenters that said he has no leverage, this is where players have limited leverage. He can have a sore hammy, and he certainly will be making business decisions on any balls over the middle of the field. The 49ers then have to decide if they want to go into the season that way, trade him, or sign him to an extension.
I hope Aiyuk doesn’t suffer too much from his upcoming rare migraine syndrome that can only be cured by $80 million in guarantees.
$80 million will cure a lot of minor injuries!
“GIVE ME MY MONEY!! Now!!!”
Pulled his left testicle … he’s day to day until Brink’s truck shows up.
The cap has certainly rebounded from the pandemic but it’s gonna taper off. This idea of whoever signs the latest deal makes the most money at some point has to stop making financial sense. Lawrence gets 55mil a year? Lamb and Aiyuk want Jefferson money? I’m probably unrealistic id just like to see the best player at their position make the most and that’s just not what’s happening. Now if you wanna take the Prescott or Cousins route and risk injury and pass on that guaranteed money betting on yourself that I’m all for. But these fourth year players topping the market gets old