The meeting does not close the value gap between the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk

Justin Jefferson Rumors circulated before his mammoth extension, and CeeDee Lamb has been linked to a holdout threat. But Brandon Aiyuk was the headline champion at his position during the offseason and his conversations about the 49ers were frequent.

Aiyuk asked for (and received) a meeting with 49ers leadership. After the fifth-year wide receiver made a comment that the 49ers did not want him back, the team confirmed – as has long been reported – during the meeting that it does indeed envision a future with Aiyuk. The two-time 1,000-yard pass catcher admitted that Tea Higgins He doesn’t expect to be traded this year, even though he did so weeks ago.

The recent meeting between Aiyuk and the 49ers could potentially bring about a contract extension, but hasn’t produced any movement on the matter so far. The parties aren’t moving forward after the summit, notes Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (h/t 49ersWebZone.com). That refrain continues, as a lack of development in those talks led to Aiyuk skipping OTAs and then being fined $102,000 for not attending minicamp.

Aiyuk’s camp has referred Amon-Ra St. Browns contract for $30.01 million per year in AAV compensation and a guaranteed amount approaching Jefferson’s position record of $88.7 million were mentioned as locked-in compensation. Aiyuk has not shown he’s in the class of the Vikings’ superstar, and St. Brown has put up better numbers — albeit with more targets. Aiyuk’s 3,931 career yards rank 17th since 2020, further complicating contract extension talks for a player who plays on a team with an elite skill-position corps that relies on dishing out targets.

Considering no team other than the Vikings has approved a WR contract that is more than $53 million guaranteed, it would be surprising if the 49ers gave in to Aiyuk’s demand for guarantees in Jefferson territory. In terms of AAV, the team could look for something closer to what the Eagles wanted. DeVonta Smith ($25 million per year) than a deal that reaches St. Brown’s $30 million per year.

No trade request has been received, which makes Aiyuk’s situation Samuel Deebo2022 offseason. But a training camp holdout could be the next step if the 2020 first-round pick is willing. Aiyuk will have to pay a $50,000 fine for each day of training camp missed, although the 49ers would have the option to waive the fines – as they did for Nick Bosa — because the outstanding receiver has a rookie contract. The 26-year-old Aiyuk has an option salary of $14.12 million for his fifth year.

Aiyuk was San Francisco’s best receiver by far last season and can use the 49ers’ salary cap against them in his negotiations. Without Aiyuk money or a Brock Purdy When factoring the payment into the equation, the 49ers are projected to be more than $38 million over the cap in 2025. A franchise tag on a receiver would cost more than $22 million next year. Unless the 49ers were interested in simply letting Aiyuk walk into free agency if they can’t extend his contract in 2024, they would need to create enough space to apply the tag. This process, with Charvarius District not signed for 2025 either, would be tricky.

The 49ers still want Aiyuk with them long-term, so rumors of Samuels’ departure swirled after trade talks on draft weekend. This year, the reigning NFC champions plan to keep their long-time WR duo intact, with the first-round pick Ricky Pearsall as a development option in the event that – in the most likely scenario – one of the regular players retires in 2025.