Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers ‘disagree on his value’ amid trade rumors

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk continue to disagree on what his next contract is worth.

“The 49ers do not want or intend to trade Brandon Aiyuk, even though he has officially asked the team to part ways with him,” Schefter said on Wednesday on NFL Live. “And what it boils down to is that there is disagreement about its value.”

Schefter speculated that Aiyuk could earn less internally in San Francisco than Jaylen Waddle does with the Miami Dolphins. With an average salary of $28.3 million, Waddle ranks fifth at the receiver position.

Aiyuk is in the final year of his rookie contract after the Niners exercised his $14.1 million option, and his contract status has been a constant topic of discussion throughout the offseason.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday that the 26-year-old has finally submitted a formal transfer request, adding that San Francisco has “not been willing to enter into negotiations since May.” Schefter was quick to add, reporting that the Niners have made it clear to all potential suitors that they have “no intention” of trading Aiyuk.

This can create a potentially delicate situation.

The 49ers have little incentive to trade Aiyuk now in the short term, because what they would get back would probably be draft capital that won’t flow until 2025 at the earliest. Losing such a good player without a suitable replacement is not something a franchise with Super Bowl ambitions can afford. However, the continued lack of a new contract carries the risk that Aiyuk will become increasingly dissatisfied.

The 2020 first-round pick understandably wants out given the rise in the market. This offseason alone, Amon-Ra St. Brown, AJ Brown and Justin Jefferson have won the title of highest-paid receiver, with Jefferson leading the pack with his $35 million average salary.

But San Francisco’s assessment of his value, as described by Schefter, wouldn’t be too unfair given Aiyuk’s performance thus far. He has just one 1,000-yard season under his belt and has yet to be named to a Pro Bowl, despite being named to the All-Pro second team in 2023.

Jefferson, Brown, St. Brown and Waddle, by comparison, all have either multiple Pro Bowl nominations, multiple 1,000 receiving yard seasons or a combination of both.

Of course, the ideal outcome for Aiyuk would be for the 49ers to pay his price before the regular season begins. If he can finish the year at his current salary and have his best season yet, he would at least be in a much better position to get the raise he seems to be seeking.