Did 49ers make big miscalculation in Brandon Aiyuk negotiations?

Sep 26, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) walks on the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers are stuck at an impasse with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and a new report suggests this could have been avoided much earlier in the offseason.

In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Friday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said the 49ers had allowed Aiyuk to speak to other teams prior to the NFL Draft in order to determine whether any other teams were willing to meet his contract demands. At the time, Aiyuk was demanding roughly $28 million per year, a price the 49ers were gawking at.

According to Florio, five teams were willing to give Aiyuk the contract he wanted. However, the Niners’ asking price in trade talks was too high for them.

“I’m told here were five teams that were ready to go and give him what they wanted — give him what the 49ers wouldn’t give him. But they couldn’t work out a deal with the 49ers for a trade,” Florio said. “From the 49ers’ perspective, this is where it gets a little screwy. You’ve got five other teams that were willing to pay him what he wants and give you something to get him. Why won’t you just pay him what he wants?”

Florio added that Aiyuk’s demands have likely risen since then, as Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson largely reset the market with a new contract that pays him $35 million annually. That means the 49ers’ stubbornness appears to have put them in a position where they now have an unhappy wide receiver entering the final year of his contract. They will have to either pay him more than he was asking for at the start of the process or run the risk of losing him in a year or two if the situation does not change. Plus, despite his potential rise in demands, he is still garnering trade interest .

Aiyuk is in the final year of his rookie contract and set to make just over $14 million in the upcoming season. He caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns last season in what was his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.

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