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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed on Monday that the front office hasn’t entered trade discussions involving wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports.
Instead, Lynch mentioned that the 49ers are “actively talking” with Aiyuk regarding a new contract. San Francisco is also open to the receiver playing on his fifth-year option.
Aiyuk subsequently posted a cryptic message on social media:
Rumors swirled as Aiyuk previously mentioned Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in a post on X last week:
The next day, Matt Barrows of The Athletic wrote that the team would listen to trade offers although it would take “something monumental” for San Francisco to pull the trigger on a deal.
The 49ers exercised Aiyuk’s fifth-year option in April 2023, giving him a base salary of just over $14.1 million during the 2024 season (via Spotrac). He’s currently set to hit free agency in 2025.
San Francisco has been able to keep most of its core together over the past few seasons, largely due to the small average value of quarterback Brock Purdy’s contract. In 2024, Purdy will have a cap hit of just more than $1 million.
This gives Lynch more flexibility to work on an extension with Aiyuk over the summer. He’s praised the 26-year-old on several occasions in the past, discussing his admiration for the wideout at the scouting combine.
“Brandon’s one that we think incredibly highly of, one of my favorite guys around our building,” Lynch said on Feb. 27. “The way he approaches the game, he’s a competitor. He’s a warrior. He plays with such a physicality, also with a grace, the way some of the positions his body can get into.”
During his 2023 campaign, Aiyuk hauled in 75 passes for a career-high 1,342 yards while finding the end zone seven times in 16 starts
