The good news is there’s nothing new on the Brandon Aiyuk contract saga. The bad news is there’s nothing new on the Brandon Aiyuk contract saga.
As things drag deeper into the middle of August and the team starts feeling the pressure to find a resolution with their All-Pro wide receiver before the season starts, the more it feels like we’re meandering (slowly) toward a conclusion where Aiyuk gets a massive extension to stay with the 49ers long-term.
There are tea leaves to read with things general manager John Lynch has said, Aiyuk’s actions, and what some of Aiyuk’s teammates have said that lead us to that conclusion. Now that thinking is permeating other NFL front offices.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided an update Saturday where he didn’t have any news on Aiyuk’s contract specifically, but he did say competing executives now believe Aiyuk will be staying with the 49ers.
Perhaps those executives are with the Steelers, who have been trying to work out a trade with San Francisco, and they’ve gotten the idea he’s not available anymore. They might just be execs from other clubs who are looking at the same tea leaves we are and coming to similar conclusions. After all, it never really made sense for the 49ers to trade Aiyuk in August for something that would’ve fallen well below market value while likely harming their chances to win a Super Bowl in 2024.
Ultimately the thoughts of other executives aren’t going to move the 49ers and Aiyuk closer to a resolution. It’s a better sign than not, however, that opposing executives are leaning toward Aiyuk staying even after all the trade talks in the early portion of August.
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