San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) - Steph Chambers/GettyImages
Big and relieving news as the saga between the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk has a resolution. The wide receiver and the team have finally reached an agreement. It has been a summer of stress and storylines, but now all is resolved Here is a look at the deal and what it means moving forward for the 49ers.
Brandon Aiyuk Signs Deal with 49ers
On Thursday, August 29th, the San Francisco 49ers and their wide receiver officially came to an agreement on a long-awaited contract extension. The news was announced by NFL reporter, Mike Garafolo on X. Aiyuk, and the team has now agreed on a four-year contract extension worth $120 million. The extension also involves $76 million in guaranteed. The drama is officially over and the team will have their wide receiver for the next five seasons. More exact details on the breakdown of the contract extension will be revealed as time goes on.
According to Adam Schefter on X, this is the same deal that the 49ers offered on August 10th. The team called his bluff, and now that fines were beginning, Aiyuk and his agent agreed on a deal. After three weeks since the 49ers’ offer, the hold-in is over and he can get back to practicing with the team.
Tensions began to rise publicly yesterday, as Aiyuk became medically cleared to participate in practice. As the media and fans described the offseason with Aiyuk as a hold-in, as opposed to a hold-out, the team explained that Aiyuk was dealing with a back and neck issue. The wide receiver has been present, but not participating in any practices.
Once cleared, all eyes turned to Wednesday’s practice to see if Aiyuk would be participating. Aiyuk ended up not being present at Wednesday or Thursday’s practice, but will now be back with the team. This has been an offseason of chaos and drama, but now this storyline is complete.
Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers this Year
Now that the announcement of the contract extension is here, it is time to look forward to the 2024 season. The 49ers will open up their season during Monday Night Football against the New York Jets. This does give Aiyuk over a week to get ready and ramp up his practice. There is a history of players who take a while to sign their extensions to start off the season with a slow start. Hopefully, Aiyuk will be able to step up early for the 49ers as they look to start the season strong following their Super Bowl loss back in February.
Brandon Aiyuk’s Contribution to the Team
While the 49ers do have great receiving weapons on their team, Aiyuk may be the best route runner. This helps make him the team’s deep-threat receiver. He is a player who not only gets open easily but is heavily trusted in one-on-one situations. In the NFC Championship game, when Aiyuk had his 51-yard reception, it was thrown because quarterback, Brock Purdy trusted Aiyuk. While the team could win games without the receiver, having him back will be a huge boost to the offense.
In four years with the 49ers, Aiyuk has had 269 receptions for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. For two years in a row, in both 2022 and 2023, Aiyuk had 1,000+ yards seasons. He also earned second-team All-Pro honors for his 2023 season.
Now all that is left for the 49ers is to sign their star left tackle, Trent Williams. Luckily, with Aiyuk signed, the Williams contract can be the front office’s main focus. The 2024 NFL season for the San Francisco 49ers will begin on Monday, September 9th.
