Brandon Aiyuk wants huge money, even if it's not from the 49ers. But shouldn't they want to pay up for him? Here's why it's so complicated.
Adam Schefter explains to Pat McAfee the twists and turns in Brandon Aiyuk's contract saga and why the 49ers now hope to keep the wide receiver in San Francisco. Ben Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.dissecting Instagram posts
In Fowler's survey, Aiyuk debuted at 10th on the back of his best professional season: 1,342 yards on 75 catches with seven scores. That might not look stellar at first brush --Aiyuk averaged 3.3 yards per route run, which is the fourth-best number for a wide receiver since 2010. Yards per route run is a stable metric that rewards a receiver for several things: earning a lot of targets on the routes he runs, catching a lot of those targets and getting a lot of yards out of those catches.
Aiyuk has benefitted from huge inflation in the production achievable at the position. Of the five best single seasons by yards per route run, three came from 2023, and one of the remaining two came from 2022. Efficiency is climbing even as raw volume is climbing: We know that the league is passing the football more than ever, and doing so more successfully. There were 27 1,000-yard receivers last season, which is the most the league has ever produced.
As the market explodes, 49ers general manager John Lynch has been painted into a corner. The 49ers can't argue they can only carry one top-of-market wide receiver deal, because the Eagles have two massive contracts in Brown and. Waddle and Smith were both drafted in 2021, a year after Aiyuk, so San Francisco can't really contend that Aiyuk should wait out his fifth-year option, either.
Of course, in a vacuum, this isn't really an issue. Collins being very, very good doesn't change the fact that Aiyuk is also very, very good. Both should get big fat contracts to reflect their recent excellence and rosy futures.. With one year left on his previous deal, he signed a three-year, $72.75 million extension in May, an average of only $24.25 million per year. And if the words"only $24.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Steelers, 49ers reportedly have Brandon Aiyuk trade in place but deal not doneThe Brandon Aiyuk saga might be nearing the finish line. The 49ers and Steelers reportedly have a trade in place as Pittsburgh awaits San Francisco's final decision.
Read more »
Pittsburgh Steelers, 49ers have a deal in place for Brandon Aiyuk tradeThe Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers have a deal in place for Brandon Aiyuk.
Read more »
Steelers Have Potential Trade for 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk in Place, per ReportPittsburgh reportedly has the pieces in place to land Aiyuk.
Read more »
The 49ers Could Send Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers in a 3-Team TradeThe 49ers still haven't figured out what they want to do with Brandon Aiyuk. They say they want to extend his contract, but they haven't done so yet. And they continue to have trade talks with other teams according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.
Read more »
49ers Sign Veteran WR Amid Brandon Aiyuk Trade Speculation49ers sign veteran wide receiver Robbie Chosen to a one-year deal amid the Brandon Aiyuk speculation.
Read more »
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk Rejected Trade To Browns, For Amari Cooper: Report49ers star WR Brandon Aiyuk reportedly rejected a trade with the Browns that would have sent a star back to San Francisco.
Read more »