Brandon Aiyuk may be playing out his final days as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
The star wide receiver is preparing to enter the last year of his deal, and due to financial constraints, the 49ers may not be able to afford him long term.
Aiyuk has made it pretty clear that he isn’t open to taking any hometown discounts, which creates quite the problem for San Francisco heading into 2024.
Do the Niners trade Aiyuk? Or do they hold on to him and revisit the situation next offseason?
A report surfaced this past weekend that the 26-year-old requested a trade, but Aiyuk’s agent refuted it.
Well, now, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has provided an update on the situation between Aiyuk and the 49ers, stating that the Arizona State product is chasing the dollars and that while he would like to remain in the Bay Area, he simply wants to go wherever he will get paid (h/t Sharp Football Analysis).
Aiyuk recently unfollowed the 49ers on social media, which was another hint that he may ultimately want out of San Francisco before next season.
Of course, it’s only April, and there is plenty of time for the Niners to sort things out with Aiyuk.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they will extend him, but they may try and convince him to stick around for one more year to try and win a Super Bowl.
Aiyuk is coming off of a fantastic 2023 campaign in which he hauled in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, establishing himself as the 49ers’ clear No. 1 receiver.
The Reno, Nv. native was selected by San Francisco with the 25th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
We’ll see if the Niners and Brandon Aiyuk can get on the same page in the coming weeks and months.
More must-reads: