Another day, another update on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. While he and the team seemed to be progressing towards a contract extension, shutting down trade talks and vowing to get a long-term deal done, those talks have stalled. So much so that T.J. Housmanzadeh, Aiyuk’s personal wide receiver trainer, says Aiyuk is “pessimistic” about getting a deal done.
Houshmandzadeh appeared on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show to discuss Aiyuk’s future.
“At one point [Aiyuk] thought he may sign…that optimistic outlook has turned into a pessimistic outlook,” Houshmanzadeh said as tweeted out by the station’s Twitter account.
He went on to note that Aiyuk thought a deal might’ve fallen into place roughly six weeks ago, which would’ve put the timeline right before or during the NFL draft.
The draft served as the height of Aiyuk trade rumors that cooled down following April’s selections. Though the 49ers took Florida WR Ricky Pearsall in the first round, without getting return to help the team win now, dealing Aiyuk made less sense. The only motivating factor would be to trade him if an extension proved impossible, getting something for him instead of watching Aiyuk hit free agency next March.
Like any contractual impasse, the problem is money. While we don’t know what the 49ers are offering, Housmanzadeh outlines what Aiyuk is looking for. He says if the 49ers offered the same deal the Detroit Lions gave Amon-Ra St. Brown in April, Aiyuk would sign today.
“That’s who I would compare him to. Amon-Ra St. Brown,” Houshmanzadeh said on the show. “To me, if the 49ers are willing to give him that type of contract, guarantee…that just shows you, they’re not willing to give him that type of contract.”
St. Brown received a four-year, $120 million deal that at the time, made him the league’s highest-paid receiver. That standing didn’t last long, passed by A.J. Brown ($32 million per year) and Justin Jefferson ($35 million per year). Sooner or later, CeeDee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase will pass St. Brown’s $30 million average, too.
Aiyuk officially held out of mandatory minicamp, training on his own while waiting for a new deal. Much of that time was presumably spent with Housmanzadeh, the former Bengals’ receiver who battled the Steelers for years. In past interviews, Housmanzadeh’s made clear that Aiyuk wants to stay in San Francisco. But the money will do the loudest talking.
Clearly, if the Steelers were to trade for Brandon Aiyuk, they would agree to the framework of a contract beforehand. It seems $30 million is the average number Pittsburgh needs to hit, not to mention the structure of the deal and base salary guarantee language that could prove tricky. Trading for him wouldn’t come cheap either, giving up at least a second-round pick and probably more to convince the 49ers to let Aiyuk go. There’s also the looming possibility of paying George Pickens a similar figure should he thrive in 2024, eligible for an extension starting next season. Pittsburgh might be mathematically able to pay two receivers that kind of money, but whether they’d want to, especially knowing their quarterback room likely gets more expensive next year, is another matter.
Of course, context is needed. Houshmanzadeh is essentially representing Aiyuk and his best interests. Applying pressure on the 49ers is part of the game. Deadlines spur action, and perhaps the 49ers would be willing to increase their offer in time. But until a deal is done, speculation will continue, especially if Aiyuk truly believes the 49ers won’t budge on their numbers.
