Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers received a stern message from John Lynch at the stage during Tuesday’s NFL draft combine in Indianapolis: We want you to stay put.
It should go without saying, but it’s unclear if Lynch and the 49ers can truly make that happen given the limitations on their compensation structure.
It’s also unclear if Aiyuk intends to remain in San Francisco at all.
Let’s begin with Lynch’s remarks made during the combine, whereby he recognized the 49ers’ “difficulties” while simultaneously emphasizing the team’s track record of signing players.
Let’s begin with Lynch’s remarks made during the combine, whereby he recognized the 49ers’ “difficulties” while simultaneously emphasizing the team’s track record of signing players.
According to Pro Football Talk, Lynch stated, “We have some challenges.” “We’ve awarded a lot of our talented players, who are many.
We have a lot of respect for Brandon, who is among my favorite people in our facility because of the way he plays the game. He is an opponent. He is a fighter. Because of the positions his body can assume, he plays with such physicality and grace.
Additionally, he has a knack for making plays when they count, and as a franchise, he has performed admirably. Furthermore, I believe we have a good history of extending the contracts of the players that are significant to us, and Brandon is the player we want to stick with for a very long time.
Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers had a breakout year.
Lynch has many reasons to desire Aiyuk to move to San Francisco. With just 75 catches, Aiyuk amassed 1,342 yards last season, ranking second in the NFL in yards per catch (17.9). Throughout the season, he and quarterback Brock Purdy appeared to have a great rapport, especially with Deebo Samuel, the team’s other top receiver, out for two games and partial sessions of others.
Aiyuk won’t come cheap, though. It will be challenging for San Francisco to find enough space to retain Aiyuk, who turns 26 next month and is currently ranked among the NFL’s Top 5-10 receivers, even with the $30 million increase in the salary limit.
In theory, Aiyuk is obligated to pay $14 million for his fifth-year option next season. There’s a good chance the 49ers will try to sign him again at that price the following season, but he almost certainly will demand a bigger contract. Aiyuk is projected by Spotrac to be worth $23 million year, and they anticipate that he will be worthy of a four-year, $92 million deal extension.
With a chance to make it back to the Super Bowl, the 49ers could arrange things so that they can fit Aiyuk in this year. However, with their payroll skyrocketing, they will undoubtedly need to make changes the following season.
There’s also the perplexing question of whether Aiyuk wishes to return. On a team that had great receivers Debbie Samuel and George Kittle in addition to adaptable running back Christian McCaffrey, Aiyuk was the top receiver. A game can only have so many plays, and it seemed like Aiyuk wasn’t satisfied with how much of him they were using.
The fact that Aiyuk only had three catches in the Super Bowl was brought up earlier this month by his close friend Dylan Hudson, who also said, “This is the exact reason why are left SanFrancisco
Of course, that sounded a little harsh. That was, however, his third straight postseason game with just three catches.
Aiyuk did not try to dismiss the posts when they were brought up, stating that he would only continue with the 49ers if it was “the right move.” In addition, he appeared troubled by his lack of postseason catches on social media when he shared the message, “Remember what brought you here.”
The 49ers are in a difficult predicament, which is made much more challenging by Aiyuk’s social media posts following the Super Bowl. However, Lynch remains optimistic that he will return.
