Latest wide receiver contract provides further evidence 49ers misjudged the market with Brandon Aiyuk

Another wide receiver contract in an offseason defined by them was agreed on Tuesday, but it did not involve Brandon Aiyuk.

The Chicago Bears inked their top wideout to a lucrative long-term deal, signing D.J. Moore to a four-year extension worth $110 million with $82.6 million guaranteed.

It is a deal that will see Moore, a former first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers, earn $27.5 million annually, and it's a contract that further indicates the San Francisco 49ers have misjudged the market with their position in negotiations with Aiyuk.

The 49ers are reported to have offered Aiyuk a deal that would pay him $26 million annually, whereas the 2020 first-round pick is said to be seeking to better the deal signed by Amon-Ra St. Brown with the Detroit Lions this offseason. St. Brown penned a four-year, $120 million extension said to be worth an average of $28 million over the first three years.

At the time of the trade request Aiyuk submitted this month, it was reported the 49ers had been unwilling to engage in negotiations since May, pointing to a complete refusal on their part to improve on that reported offer.

Moore has a longer track record of production that Aiyuk having entered the league in 2018 and racked up four 1,000-yard seasons in six years. He also had more receiving yards (1,364) and receiving touchdowns (8) than Aiyuk, who had 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, in 2023.

But it was Aiyuk who was named second-team All-Pro after delivering his production in a substantially more efficient manner. His yardage coming on 75 receptions to Moore's 96.

The efficiency of Aiyuk, who had the highest passer rating when targeted on throws of over 20 yards (min. 20 targets) in the NFL last season (149.3), is encapsulated by his performance in DVOA, which measures per-play value. Per FTN Fantasy, he led all pass-catchers with a DVOA of 45 percent. Nico Collins (36.6%) was his closest challenger among wideouts, with Moore way down on a still impressive 17.8%.

It is no secret at this point that 2023 was a season in which Aiyuk delivered explosive and top-tier production while displaying a level of efficiency that no receiver in the league could match.

Still, with only two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, the 49ers clearly felt $26 million per year was the right price for Aiyuk in this wide receiver market. The fact Moore, who is a year older and didn't go anywhere close to producing the same level of per-play value, was given $27.5 million annually hammers home the point that the 49ers are off base with what they think Aiyuk is worth.

After a contract impasse that has gone on much longer than it needed to, it's past time for the 49ers to admit their mistake and bring this saga to a positive resolution.

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