Brandon Aiyuk’s tenure in San Francisco may not be coming to an end just yet.
Aiyuk’s future with the reigning NFC champions has been in limbo since he requested a trade after not being able to negotiate a long-term contract this offseason. Teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown interest in acquiring the All-Pro receiver.
Then came Friday, when NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the 49ers have “made a renewed effort in recent days to strike a long-term deal,” with Aiyuk. He also said that the situation is fluid and teams like the Steelers are still looking to get a trade done. Aiyuk is in the last year of his rookie contract, which will see the Niners pay him $14.1 million.
The #49ers have made a renewed effort in recent days to strike a long-term deal with WR Brandon Aiyuk, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo.
The situation is fluid and other teams, including Pittsburgh, are still in the mix. But a return to SF appears increasingly possible.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 9, 2024
Aiyuk himself responded vaguely to an Instagram post with Pelissero’s report, casting at least some doubt on whether there’s as much positive momentum as Pelissero makes it sound.
Aiyuk’s future with the franchise began clouding after their Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Aiyuk’s girlfriend posted a message on social media hinting that he might not return.
In late March, 49ers general manager John Lynch made it known that there were no plans of trading Aiyuk and the two sides were working toward a contract extension. Just a month later, the 49ers drafted receiver Ricky Pearsall, seemingly preparing for the possibility of losing Aiyuk.
Mid-June saw Aiyuk tell his former college teammate and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels that “they don’t want me back,” with “they” referring to the Niners. A month later, Aiyuk formally requested a trade.
Aiyuk began his hold-in strategy in late July to try and get a deal done. He chose to attend…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/brandon-aiyuk-latest-49ers-have-made-renewed-effort-to-strike-long-term-deal-with-star-wr-225044845.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-08-09 22:50:44
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