One week ago, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk officially requested a trade. But even with the request to be moved, he is set to report to training camp.
According to a report Tuesday from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Aiyuk will report to training camp despite making clear that he wants a trade without a new contract.
Aiyuk made his trade request official last Tuesday as NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo broke the news.
According to that report from Garafolo, the 49ers have not made an offer to Aiyuk or engaged in extension talks since May. During an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” with former NFL players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, Aiyuk made it known that he was upset negotiations had gone public, hinting that some of the information that was leaked was inaccurate.
That appearance on the podcast came just a few days after he reportedly had a “good” meeting with the 49ers, though no common ground was found on the extension request.
UPDATE (2:04 PM): 49ers GM John Lynch remains adamant the team wants to keep Aiyuk on the roster.
“We’ve had great communication…We’ve made it a priority to try and get done,” Lynch said during a pre-camp press conference. “We’ve had excellent communication throughout. Really don’t want to characterize it. We haven’t been able to [get the deal done] and that’s a shame. Brandon’s a big part of our team and we expect that he will be this year.”
Lynch didn’t offer an “absolute” that Aiyuk would be on the roster the same way he did with DE Nick Bosa last season and Lynch said the team would is “always open to listening” to things.
Aiyuk is coming off a 2023 season in which he hauled in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, helping lead the 49ers to an appearance in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Those numbers, his age and his talents have him wanting to be paid like a top-tier receiver he has shown to be. But the 49ers reportedly haven’t come close to that.
According to an early June report from 49ers insider Michael Silver, San Francisco is offering Aiyuk $26 million per year. That puts him well under the recent pay scale of receivers who landed new contracts this offseason across the NFL, such as Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown, and Miami’s Jaylen Waddle.
According to Garafolo, the 49ers have not made a new contract extension offer to Aiyuk since May, leading to his frustration and ultimately his trade request.
Aiyuk has seemed a bit pessimistic about a long-term deal getting done in San Francisco, so that could lead to a move, especially as the season draws closer and he has now officially requested a trade.
Previously, it was reported that the Steelers and 49ers had a deal in place before it fell apart during the draft. That came just a few days after the Steelers restructured Alex Highsmith’s contract to free up more cap space, potentially signaling a move for a receiver.
Pittsburgh still has a need for a wide receiver addition opposite George Pickens. Aiyuk has been connected to the Steelers all offseason, from Aiyuk tweeting at head coach Mike Tomlin to stating on “The Pivot Podcast” that he sees himself playing for the 49ers, Washington Commanders or Steelers in 2024.
While the 49ers have made clear they have no intentions of trading him, deadlines spur action. The season is fast approaching, and while Aiyuk is set to report to training camp, it’s unclear what level of participation he will have during practices — if any.
