The consensus opinion as the saga around Brandon Aiyuk's contract talks with the San Francisco 49ers has rumbled on is that the wide receiver has very little leverage.
Aiyuk played one hand he did have at his disposal on Tuesday as it was revealed by NFL Network's Mike Garafolo that the All-Pro had requested a trade from the 49ers.
With that decision, he and the Niners are essentially in a staring contest . The 49ers have reportedly not engaged in contract talks since May, leading to Aiyuk losing patience and submitting his request, but are also reported to have told teams that have enquired about a trade that they have no intention of dealing him.
San Francisco is, in other words, unwilling to move off its last offer for Aiyuk and unwilling to trade him to a team that may pay him more. The 49ers are reported to have offered him a deal worth $26 million annually, while Aiyuk is said to want to beat Amon-Ra St. Brown's four-year, $120 million extension signed earlier this offseason.
On the Aiyuk side, the hope will be that his trade request does help bring the 49ers back to the table. If and when that does happen, Aiyuk and his agent can use recent comments by an NFL executive to their advantage.
Aiyuk just made it on to the list of ESPN's top 10 wide receivers in the NFL, compiled by polling NFL coaches, executives and scouts. His overall ranking is not what's significant here, though. It's the thoughts of one executive who ranked Aiyuk in his top three that are more telling.
The exec said of Aiyuk: "More downfield production, huge jump in yards per catch, quietly has almost 300 [career] catches. Excels as a blocker. Lower body ability is as good as anyone."
That Aiyuk has excellent ability in his lower body to help him create separation as a route-runner is not news. However, the fact a rival executive thinks so highly of his prowess in that regard that he is willing to put Aiyuk as one of the three best receivers in football is something that can and should be used in negotiations by the wideout's representatives as justification for why he deserves more than what the 49ers are offering.
With Aiyuk due to play under his fifth-year option and the 49ers having the franchise tag as an option for next season, San Francisco holds most of the cards. Aiyuk and his team might be able to use the opinion of rival executives as justification for why their demands should met, but it probably won't change the view of the Niners on what the price point should be.
If anything, it will just make the two sides even more dug in to their respective stances, and make a deal harder to do.
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