The negotiations between the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk do not appear close to a conclusion any time soon. Aiyuk held out of Minicamp and was fined more than $100,000 for doing so.
With that in mind, Guru and Larry Krueger had on The Athletic's Matt Barrows to update where things stand.
Barrows expects that both sides will reach an agreement, but it might take time. He also isn't sure the 49ers will forgive Aiyuk's fines if he holds out, like they did with Nick Bosa.
"Yeah, it would [surprise me], only because they've been able to sign their guys in the past," Barrows aid. "As I've been saying throughout the spring, I mean, I don't wanna say it's contentious, but difficult negotiation right now with Aiyuk. But so was the Deebo Samuel one, so was the Nick Bosa one and they both eventually got done."
The fact that they drafted Ricky Pearsall gives the 49ers more leverage, Barrows thinks.
"It is interesting though, that the 49ers use a first round pick on a wide receiver," Barrows said. "That wide receiver has played well this spring. I would think that that only strengthens the 49ers' stance at this point. I still think something's gonna get done. I still think it would be a travesty if Brock Purdy went into this season without his his favorite target. All those fines will start piling up in the summer, no indication that the 49ers will forgive Aiyuk for absences the way that they did for Nick Bosa. So I still think it's done. But this team is fairly deep or deeper than it was at wide receiver, certainly that from a year ago."
He thinks Aiyuk is around Amon-Ra St. Brown's $30 million per year figure.
"The bottom line is how much money is he worth? Is he worth Justin Jefferson level money? I don't think that anybody believes that," Barrows said. "Is he worth Amon-Ra St. Brown money? I think we're closer to that one. I mean, I feel like that should be the basis for this negotiation. And maybe the 49ers can work it in a way where he comes out a little bit ahead of St. Brown, and sort of save face in that regard. But I think that's the type of receiver that we're talking."
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