ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported recently on “NFL Live” that 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk is looking to beat the $28 million per year Amon-Ra St. Brown got from the Lions in his new contract this offseason.
“I was told the benchmark here is Amon-Ra St. Brown,” Fowler said, via B/R. “He got $28 million a year on a four-year from Detroit. The goal appears to be to try to beat that. He doesn’t have to be the highest paid in the league, but he’s done enough and he’s accomplished enough in that offense to where he is probably going to need to be at that number or higher.”
In total, St. Brown secured a four-year, $120,010,000 contract that included a $16,500,000 signing bonus and $77 million guaranteed from Detroit.
Mike Garafolo reported a few days ago that the 49ers and Aiyuk are not close on coming to terms on a contract extension at this time.
Garafolo noted the teams that called the 49ers about trading for Aiyuk ahead of and during the draft got the impression that San Francisco didn’t want to trade him.
However, the two sides remain at an impasse. Garafolo does not expect Aiyuk to attend any voluntary OTAs and adds it’s an open question whether he skips mandatory minicamp in June and incurs the fines.
Garafolo points out Aiyuk has not requested a trade yet and things have not deteriorated to the level where the 49ers feel like they have no choice but to trade him.
Still, it doesn’t seem like a resolution is coming at any point soon.
Aiyuk, 26, was a one-year starter at Arizona State and earned first-team All-Pac 12 in his final season. The 49ers traded up with the Vikings to select him with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He signed a four-year, $12,531,342 rookie contract that included a $6,673,703 signing bonus. The 49ers picked up his fifth-year option last year that will cost them $14,124,000 fully guaranteed for the 2024 season.
Aiyuk is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
In 2023, Aiyuk appeared in 16 games for the 49ers and caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards receiving and seven touchdowns.
We will have more news on Aiyuk as it becomes available.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
