Bristol, CT - May 21, 2018 - Studio X: Scott Van Pelt on the set of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt .(Photo by Allen Kee / ESPN Images)
Brandon Aiyuk on contract talks with 49ers: ‘I’m trying to get what I deserve’.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch dismissed Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors this week and noted the club is “actively talking with” the wideout to try and figure out a long-term deal.
On Thursday, Aiyuk joined Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson on the Nightcap podcast where he voiced his side.
“I’m trying to get what I deserve,” Aiyuk said. “I feel like this season, this season playing football, I figured out who I was as a person and a player, what I bring to the table, what I bring to the locker room, what I bring to the organization. And just the value I hold when I walk in that building. People going to follow me because I’ve done it the right way since I’ve been in that building. From the first day I walked in there to when I was in there earlier this morning. I’ve done it the right way. If they don’t see the worth in that [makes a walking motion with hands], that’s all it is. It ain’t
nothing else besides that. I can’t get into it. We got professionals working on both sides, so hopefully, we can come to a professional agreement and continue playing professional football.”
Aiyuk, who said he’s currently working out in the Bay Area, didn’t get into specifics about what he “deserves,” even after Johnson noted a $30-32 million figure.
The 25th overall pick in 2020, Aiyuk is set to enter the fifth and final year of his contract, worth $14.124 million in 2024.
In his four seasons in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, the wideout has progressively improved, including his 1,342-yard campaign in 2023. There is little doubt that Aiyuk helps make the Niners’ offense go. San Francisco wants to keep him long-term, but with so many other $20-plus-million players already on the roster and needing to budget for Brock Purdy’s eventual payday, shelling out dinero for Aiyuk will require financial gymnastics.
