The ongoing Brandon Aiyuk saga finally came to a resolution last week when he re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers on a four-year, $120 million deal that made him tied for the fifth-highest paid receiver in the NFL. After an offseason full of trade rumors and contract negotiations, the 49ers got an extension done with their No. 1 wideout.
One of the top contenders to land Aiyuk had he been traded was the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers reportedly came the closest to landing Aiyuk, but were unwilling to trade a current player back to the 49ers. Pittsburgh additionally did not want to pay Aiyuk more than T.J. Watt, who makes an average of $28 million per year. The Steelers were reportedly willing to give up $27.7 million per year for Aiyuk, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Breer additionally noted that the 49ers originally offered Aiyuk $26 million per year in May, but came back with two higher proposals on Aug. 12 after Aiyuk “held in” during training camp. One of those two proposals, which Aiyuk initially rejected, included the four-year, $120 million offer.
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The 49ers originally stated they had no plans to trade Aiyuk, but ended up giving Aiyuk the chance to seek out a trade and contract with another team. He ultimately chose to stay with the 49ers, who know he is a key piece to their shot at winning the Super Bowl this season.
49ers general manager John Lynch has proven over his tenure with the team that he can resolve strenuous contract disputes. Two years ago, the 49ers found themselves in a similar predicament with Deebo Samuel, who they ended up signing to a three-year, $73.5 million deal.
Last offseason, defensive end Nick Bosa held out through training camp only for the 49ers to sign him to a record-breaking five-year, $170 million deal days before the start of the regular season.
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The 49ers’ ability to re-sign their top players has given them the continuity to make three straight NFC Championship Games.
Aiyuk is coming off the best season of his career after catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He established a strong rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy, and recorded seven 100-yard receiving games in 2023. He now holds back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
The final piece of the puzzle for the 49ers is resolving their dispute with All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams. Williams is widely considered the best left tackle in the NFL, but is unhappy with his current deal and could potentially miss the start of the season.