49ers' NFC rivals put more pressure on them to get Brandon Aiyuk deal done with latest blockbuster news

Another domino has fallen in the wide receiver market, but it does not involve Brandon Aiyuk.

As the San Francisco 49ers All-Pro continues his waiting game to see if the Niners will give him the payday he wants, the Dallas Cowboys rewarded their top receiver on Monday, agreeing to a four-year extension with CeeDee Lamb .

The deal is worth $136 million with $100 million guaranteed including a $38 million signing bonus that is a record for a wide receiver, per multiple reports.

Lamb is now the second highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history behind only Justin Jefferson, the Minnesota Vikings wideout having signed a four-year, $140 million extension back in June. Jefferson's contract pays him an average annual salary of $35 million a year, with Lamb just behind at $34 million a year.

Aiyuk is unlikely to be able to command a similar contract despite his two successive 1,000-yard seasons. The 2020 first-round pick does not yet have the history of production to be viewed on the same level as Jefferson and Lamb, but the massive contract for the latter will only strengthen Aiyuk's hand as he seeks a deal in the region of the four-year, $120 million extension Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown signed this offseason.

The 49ers and Aiyuk were reported to have agreed on the major points of a deal, with the sticking point being some adjustments to the final year of the proposed contract.

But there has been no sign of a breakthrough since that report a fortnight ago. Now, with the start of the regular season only two weeks away, the Cowboys coming to terms with Lamb places even greater pressure on the 49ers to do the same with Aiyuk and ensure he has the chance to get up to speed properly before their Monday Night Football opener against the New York Jets.

The conventional wisdom at the start of his process said that the Niners had all the leverage. However, the balance has gradually tilted in Aiyuk's favor the longer this saga has gone on.

While the Lamb contract likely won't change the overall value of the 49ers' offer to Aiyuk, one of their biggest NFC rivals tying down their premier wideout long term might provide the push the Niners need to acquiesce to Aiyuk's remaining demands and end an impasse that has dragged on far too long .

Related: 49ers waive former UFL standout who was always facing uphill battle to make 53-man roster