Why the 49ers Might end up Overpaying Brandon Aiyuk

The 49ers like to wait until training camp to extend their players, but that process could end up forcing them to overpay Brandon Aiyuk if they finalize a deal with him.

Oct 1, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) runs / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

It is unclear if the San Francisco 49ers will look to give All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk a contract extension.

Everything is on the table with him from a trade, to an extension, and playing on the final year of his rookie deal. Clarity won't be gained on an extension until July or August. That is usually when the 49ers strike a deal with their players who are due for an extension.

However, that process will end up hurting the 49ers as they might end up overpaying Aiyuk should they finalize a deal with him. So many receivers are due for a contract extension around the NFL this offseason. Devonta Smith and the Philadelphia Eagles are the first ones to get done, which already sets the floor for what an extension for Aiyuk will look like.

But Smith is just one of many. Other receivers like Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins, and more are due for extensions. Given how the 49ers like to wait, Aiyuk might end up being the last deal done. Should it come to that, they could end up giving more to him than if they had extended him sooner.

This is always the risk the 49ers run by upholding this ridiculous standard of not extending players until training camp. Now, you could say it is the player being the one who holds up the negotiations. It probably is to a degree, but the 49ers have shown numerous times that they do this with every player who is looking for an extension.

In fact, the 49ers had to pay Deebo Samuel a little more because A.J. Brown got his deal done first. Samuel is not as talented as Brown, but because he was the last one who signed he gets more bang for his buck. It makes sense for Aiyuk to want to withhold contract negotiations with the 49ers so he can squeeze out more money.

Now, Aiyuk won't be getting a similar deal as Jefferson and Lamb. Aiyuk and his agent would be fools to think they could. But they could end up getting something closer to their deals than the one Smith got from the Eagles all because he could be the last receiver in the league that gets extended.