Things haven’t gotten publicly ugly yet between the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in their contract negotiations, but according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, that doesn’t mean things have gone swimmingly.
In an appearance on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, Barrows told Steiny and Guru that the negotiations have been difficult and that rookie first-round pick Ricky Pearsall’s performance in OTAs has hardened the 49ers’ position in those talks. And while the 49ers were willing to forgive fines for defensive end Nick Bosa during prolonged negotiations that lasted until the first week of the regular season, it doesn’t appear they’ll do the same for Aiyuk.
“The fines will begin to pile up,” Barrows said. “And there’s no indication that the 49ers will forgive Aiyuk for absences like they did for Nick Bosa.”
Whether that’s a negotiating tactic or a firm stance by San Francisco is unclear. What is clear is Aiyuk and the 49ers aren’t necessarily trending toward a long-term contract extension.
This is part of the reason San Francisco uses training camp as a soft deadline for deals. Once the fines kick in, a player might be more willing to come down on his price to return to the field.
If Aiyuk isn’t willing to do that, he may have to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option while also shelling out cash for missing mandatory minicamp and training camp. Given that’s the reality the 49ers are threatening, chances are these negotiations get stickier before they get better.
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