San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is heading into the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, and when he talked to reporters today in the 49ers’ locker room, he didn’t sound certain that he’d play out that contract.
Asked if Aiyuk hopes to remain with the 49ers, Aiyuk said, “If that’s the right move, yeah.”
Asked what would make it the right move, Aiyuk answered, “Being a champion.”
If Aiyuk wants to be a champion, it would seem to make sense to stay with the 49ers, given that they’re the current betting favorites to win next year’s Super Bowl. But his answers were less than definitive, and he likely wants a contract that’s going to guarantee him more than the $14.1 million base salary he’s due to make in 2024.
Aiyuk called the loss in the Super Bowl the hardest he’s experienced and got emotional as he talked about his teammates, whom he called, “the guys that came in to work to be champions every single day.”
If Aiyuk and the 49ers can’t agree on a long-term contract, it’s possible that the 49ers could trade him to a team that will pay him what he hopes to make, even if there are few other teams where he’d have as good a chance of being a champion.
