49ers want Brandon Aiyuk, but can they pay him in 2024?
49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk said this week that he wants to stay with the team "if that’s the right move." The team said this week that it wants to keep him.
The question becomes whether the two sides will find a proper middle ground regarding a new contract.
“You have to prioritize all these things," G.M. John Lynch told reporters on Tuesday. "Brandon's entering his fifth-year option. Brandon's been a fantastic player for us. Kyle [Shanahan] calls him a warrior all the time because of the way he goes out and competes. That shines through. Anybody, whether you're a trained eye or whether you're a fan, you can see the passion he plays with. You can see the production that he's had. We're extremely prideful in what he's become and he should be as well. And so, your team is comprised of guys, veterans who've been paid very well, of guys who want to be paid very well. We’ve got one guy on our team who is pretty prominent who can't be paid real well right now because the CBA doesn't allow [it]. So it's all one big puzzle. We've developed a good cadence over the years, Kyle and I, where he focuses on the season. We do all the planning and then we present things to him and we work through it. That's what we'll continue to do. But of course you want a guy like Brandon Aiyuk to be a part of you going forward."
Yes, it's a puzzle. They have one more year before quarterback Brock Purdy is eligible for a new deal. They also have made major investments in key offensive players like running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle, and tackle Trent Williams. (McCaffrey, frankly, should be looking for a raise this offseason.)
Where does Aiyuk fit? He's due to make $14.1 million in 2024. That's well below market value, especially for a guy who was a second-team All Pro, and who had a career-high 1,342 receiving yards — more than 300 yards more than Kittle and more than 400 yards more than Samuel.
It would be tempting for the 49ers to let it ride for another year at a fairly low investment. But then what? At some point, the 49ers will need to make some tough decisions about veteran players like Kittle (whose cap number exceeds $21 million this year) and Samuel (whose cap number is set to be $28.6 million).
If they pay Aiyuk now, they might have to let one of the other two go. If they wait, they can perhaps hold the trio together for one more year.
