Brandon Aiyuk stood at the lectern at the San Francisco 49ers' facility a happy man after agreeing to his lucrative contract extension to remain in the Bay Area.
And now that it's all done, with ink on paper to allow him to have a clear financial mind heading into the 2024 NFL season, he admitted to reporters that he made things pretty difficult toward the end of the negotiation.
“I'm not going to lie, I made it a little harder than I needed to at the end,” Aiyuk said with a smile Tuesday, via NBC Sports Bay Area, less than a week before the 49ers open the door against the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.”
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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) leaves the field after the NFL NFC Divisional Playoffs game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara, California. (Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“It was like… I'm not going to say the whole time, but for the last month I think we were pretty good.”
Whenever a player asks to be traded, things don't usually go “very well” between him and management. But general manager John Lynch finally managed to reach an agreement with Aiyuk's group on a four-year contract worth $120 million, with $45 million guaranteed.
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Things weren't looking good, however, when Lynch basically told Aiyuk, along with head coach Kyle Shanahan, that he had to practice because the preseason schedule was ending last week. Aiyuk had been holding back, but apparently he didn't like Lynch's “you have to play” statement.
Although everything seemed bleak with the regular season on the horizon, the 49ers and Aiyuk are now one again.
Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on before Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, NV. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Asked if he was paying attention to the salaries other receivers around the league were receiving, Aiyuk said the disagreements over numbers with the 49ers were due to his personal view of value.
“We were just trying to make sure we got to the right spot,” Aiyuk explained. “We were just trying to make sure everything was covered and that we were good on both sides.”
“Ultimately, I wanted to be in this position that I'm in now, standing here, talking to all of you, but every day was different. In negotiations, every day is different. [I was] “Just following my heart and myself every day and that brought me to today.”
He wanted to remain a 49er, and that's exactly what happened. Lynch also managed to figure out Trent Williams' contract and make sure the All-Pro left tackle continued to protect quarterback Brock Purdy's blind side.
Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers on the sideline before Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
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So the reigning NFC champions enter the 2024 season with their stars paid and everything intact on the roster side, as they seek redemption in what has become an elusive Vince Lombardi Trophy for this NFC West powerhouse.
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