Brandon Aiyuk's contract negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers have raised eyebrows among NFL insiders.
As the 2024 season approaches, an anonymous agent has criticized Aiyuk's handling of the situation, suggesting that his approach has been less than effective.
Per The Athletic's Ben Standig , an NFL agent said the following about Aiyuk and his situation on Thursday: "He's handled it horribly, but sometimes you must take your grievances public. Silly, yes, but taking the team name or logo off social media accounts can cause a needed stir."
Aiyuk is entering the final year of his contract, and while he has attended training camp and team meetings, he has opted not to participate in on-field activities.
This strategy, known as "holding in," has sparked debate about its effectiveness in contract discussions.
When Aiyuk and the Niners were unable to come to terms on a new contract throughout the offseason, he officially requested a trade this summer, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner .
ESPN's Mike Reiss and Wagoner later reported that multiple teams expressed interest in acquiring the star wideout, including the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.
After no official agreement came to pass with the Browns or the Patriots, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said it appeared Aiyuk's options were down to staying in San Francisco or going to Pittsburgh with the 49ers having a slight edge.
Still, there has been no movement regarding a new contract or a trade, so Aiyuk remains in a holding pattern just days before the Niners' regular-season opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 9.
On Wednesday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told Wagoner that Aiyuk has been medically cleared to practice, although he still hasn't done so.
General manager John Lynch provided his take on Aiyuk as well, saying: "I'm not going to get into our communication. At some point, you've got to play."
He has back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, including a career-high 1,342 last season and has been a great complement, but also very different from Deebo Samuel on the other side.
Aiyuk had his best season yet last year and was a key reason why the 49ers even got to the Super Bowl in the first place.
The issue for the 49ers is that they recently paid big money to Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, and now All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams wants a new deal in addition to Aiyuk, which adds even more uncertainty around what the 49ers can do "money-wise."
The 49ers are a much better team with Aiyuk than they are without him, but it remains to be seen if a deal can get done as the season comes barreling into focus.
As the season nears, Aiyuk's situation will be one to watch, especially as he seeks to secure a more favorable deal. Stay tuned for updates and analysis as the story develops.
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