SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The dramatic roller-coaster journey that has been the high-stakes contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and large receiver Brandon Aiyuk ended the place all of it started when this began greater than six months in the past — with the Niners and Aiyuk sticking collectively for the lengthy haul.
Aiyuk and the Niners on Thursday agreed to phrases on a four-year, $120 million contract extension that can hold him in San Francisco by means of the 2028 season, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It is the identical deal that has been on the desk from the 49ers since Aug. 12, league sources informed Schefter.
The extension contains $76 million assured, with $47 million to be paid to Aiyuk earlier than April 1, 2025, a supply informed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Aiyuk joins Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill because the fifth-highest-paid receivers within the NFL with a median annual worth of $30 million per season.
The deal comes on the heels of maybe essentially the most contentious transfer but in these negotiations because the Niners publicly declared Aiyuk wholesome on Wednesday with coach Kyle Shanahan and basic supervisor John Lynch saying they anticipated him to take part in apply.
Aiyuk didn’t apply Wednesday or Thursday, opening himself as much as the potential for crew self-discipline. Thursday’s settlement, nevertheless, ensures Aiyuk can spend the following 10 days getting ready for the Sept. 9 opener in opposition to the New York Jets.
For almost two years earlier than the extension was completed, the Niners maintained they all the time supposed to re-sign Aiyuk. There was loads of doubt about that consequence in latest weeks after the wideout requested a commerce simply earlier than the beginning of coaching camp on July 23.
Not lengthy after, the Niners — for the primary time — appeared severe about buying and selling Aiyuk.
With robust curiosity from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, the 49ers and Aiyuk evaluated their choices. To make a deal work, a crew was going to need to fulfill each the Niners as properly Aiyuk’s calls for for a profitable contract extension.
Whereas every of these groups was seemingly capable of verify a type of packing containers, neither might do each, which helped the Niners and Aiyuk return to the negotiating desk to work out their variations.
The end result was a long-awaited deal that ensures the Niners’ high wideout is not going anyplace as San Francisco pursues the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy that has narrowly evaded it in 4 of the previous 5 seasons.
Now the Niners not solely have their finest receiver for one more run on the Tremendous Bowl, however they’ll hold him with quarterback Brock Purdy as a part of the crew’s main offensive basis for the following 5 years.
In 2023, Aiyuk had a breakout season, main the Niners in receiving yards (1,342) whereas ending ninth within the NFL in receiving yards per recreation (83.9), second in yards per reception (17.9) and first in yards per goal (12.9) on his method to a second-team All-Professional nod. His return additionally means the Niners might have the identical beginning 11 on offense from final yr, with Aiyuk capable of crew with fellow wideouts Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, whereas rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing develop.
To achieve this level, in fact, it took loads of time and persistence on each side. Quickly after the 49ers misplaced Tremendous Bowl LVIII in February, Aiyuk stated he would keep in San Francisco “if it was the suitable transfer.”
Requested what that will seem like, Aiyuk stated merely, “being a champion.”
From there, issues appeared to get extra contentious after Lynch insisted on the league conferences in March that the crew needed to pay Aiyuk. After these feedback, Aiyuk posted a collection of emojis to his Instagram story that translated to “cash talks, bulls— walks.”
April’s NFL draft introduced one other vital benchmark within the negotiations. On the time, Lynch and Shanahan made it clear that they might hearken to calls on their receiver simply as they might every other participant however nonetheless had no need to maneuver on from Aiyuk.
“I’ve communicated on many events: our want is that he is right here and a part of the Niners for the remainder of his profession,” Lynch stated in April. “We’re working by means of that. … I can say we’re having good talks, and I am simply going to depart it at that.”
Due to that, a commerce involving Aiyuk was all the time going to require a considerable return coming to San Francisco. Throughout draft weekend, no offers had been ever shut, and Lynch and Shanahan once more emphasised the will to re-sign Aiyuk, even after spending their first-round choose (No. 31 total) on Pearsall.
The Niners choosing Pearsall provided some perception into the state of the connection between the crew and Aiyuk, who performed briefly with Pearsall at Arizona State. Moments after the choose, Aiyuk texted Lynch and Shanahan, “Hearth choose, I am unable to lie.”
Aiyuk stayed away from the crew’s offseason program and he additionally didn’t present up for the full-squad minicamp in early June, incurring greater than $101,000 in fines because the negotiations reached a short lived stalemate.
Within the meantime, different receivers across the league reeled in massive contracts:
These offers concurrently offered a top level view for a possible Aiyuk deal and drove his value increased, which contributed to his eventual commerce request.
Simply earlier than the Niners opened coaching camp on July 23, Aiyuk formally requested a commerce. Even after that, Lynch insisted that Aiyuk was more likely to stick round at the least by means of this season, with sources telling ESPN that different groups had reached out about buying and selling for Aiyuk solely to be informed that the Niners had no real interest in dealing him.
“We totally intend on Brandon being a Niner transferring ahead,” Lynch stated July 23. “We’re all the time open to hearken to issues however like I stated, we anticipate Brandon to be an integral a part of our crew like he has been and enthusiastic about that.”
Aiyuk then reported to coaching camp together with his teammates, although he didn’t take part in any practices. He did, nevertheless, participate in conferences and watched practices from the sideline.
Regardless of a wild week, an Aiyuk commerce to the Steelers or every other crew by no means materialized, and the edges restarted the discussions that lastly yielded an extension. Earlier than Thursday’s deal, Aiyuk was slated to play the 2024 season below the fifth-year choice that got here commonplace with the rookie contract he signed in 2020, which might have paid him $14.124 million.
That is the fifth yr in a row that the 49ers have re-signed certainly one of their stars both simply earlier than coaching camp or throughout: tight finish George Kittle (2020), linebacker Fred Warner (2021), Samuel (2022) and Nick Bosa (2023).
Aiyuk is simply the second first-round choose (together with Bosa) the Niners have made below Lynch and Shanahan to signal a second contract with the crew.
