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There is a very real chance now that the San Francisco 49ers will lose their best wide receiver, if not before the start of the regular season then at some point afterward.
Brandon Aiyuk has reportedly asked for a trade after contract extension talks stalled, and while the 49ers have no intention to trade him, that could always change.
One problem in his effort to secure an extension from the team has been the fact that the wide receiver market has exploded across the NFL over the last year or two.
Fox Sports 1 analyst Emmanuel Acho noted that explosion and said the Niners have “grossly underestimated” how the market has changed by offering Aiyuk $26 million a year, per 95.7 The Game.
.@EmmanuelAcho gave some insight into Brandon Aiyuk/49ers situation pic.twitter.com/YR4Q5kw0xP
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 18, 2024
As Acho said, $26 million a year is now the going rate for a very good WR2, such as DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle.
But Aiyuk is San Francisco’s top option in their passing game, and he has reportedly been looking for a deal around at least $30 million a year, which is about how much Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions will make on his new extension.
Aiyuk’s numbers have consistently improved since coming into the NFL in 2020, and last season, he had 75 receptions for 1,342 receiving yards, both of which led the 49ers.
The 49ers are still trying to win their first Super Bowl championship since the 1994 season after losing in the big game twice in the past five years, and losing Aiyuk would be a big setback in their “Quest for Six.”
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