Getty Image / Thearon W. Henderson
The biggest NFL storyline right now might just be the contract situation of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The star wideout is refusing to play as of now until he gets a new contract, whether that’s with the 49ers or with another team after a trade.
The San Francisco 49ers continue to say that it’s a priority for them to sign Brandon Aiyuk. But, general manager John Lynch’s words do not match his actions in getting a deal done.
Aiyuk is “holding in” at San Francisco 49ers camp so far, as he’s reported but is not practicing. He is attending meetings, though, showing he does have some interest in getting a deal done.
And, the trade talk has seemingly died down a little bit after it seemed to be imminent last week that he would be traded, likely to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So, why isn’t a deal done? It’s simple. The 49ers have failed to match Brandon Aiyuk’s demands of being paid as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, a status he achieved in last year’s campaign that saw him catch 75 passes for 1,432 yards.
According to NFL.com, here’s what John Lynch had to say about the Brandon Aiyuk contract situation on Friday.
On Friday, general manager John Lynch said on KNBR that he understands the “urgency” of the matter but declined to say what the odds were of Aiyukstaying in San Francisco.
“You know, I’m not going to characterize any chances or anything,” he said. “I can tell you this, it’s been a long, arduous, hard process, a hard journey. We started this early and for whatever reason haven’t been able to get it across the finish line. That’s been frustrating, but the communication still has been really good both with Brandon and his agent, and we’re trying to figure out solutions. You know I’m always hopeful. I’m an optimistic person in nature, and I’m always hopeful that we’ll get there and get there soon. I can tell you, we feel the urgency to have him, the season’s approaching, and we have ample time.
I get that future cap space could be an issue in San Francisco, but if John Lynch understands the urgency, he should be getting a deal done and making sure they have as good of a shot possible to win a Super Bowl this year as one of the true favorites to do so.