Why Brandon Aiyuk Should Prolong Contract Negotiations With the 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk could possibly be feeling impatient for a contract extension from the 49ers, but it is something that he should happily await for since it will benefit him.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) prepares before an NFL football game Sunday, / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

There is a possibility that All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is growing impatient with the San Francisco 49ers.

Aiyuk recently unfollowed the 49ers on social media, which could indicate impatience on his part. Regardless of social media, he could very well be fed up with the wait. Aiyuk is due for a contract extension this offseason as he enters the final and fifth-year of his rookie deal.

It only makes sense for Aiyuk to want to see his extension as soon as possible to get it over with, especially after having the best season of his career. He wants to see his money set now for years to come and I can't say I blame him.

However, Aiyuk should actually practice patience if he isn't already. That is because if Aiyuk prolongs his contract negotiations with the 49ers, then he will only increase the chance of him getting more money in an extension.

There are so many wide receivers that are due for an extension this offseason. Devonta Smith of the
Philadelphia Eagles recently signed an extension, which paints a picture as to the price range of what Aiyuk will be looking at. He'll surely want to beat Smith's deal since he will follow it.

The more deals that are made official, the more Aiyuk can gain some leverage in squeezing more money out of the 49ers. It is a basic market reset in contracts signed. It happened with Deebo Samuel two years ago. Samuel was due for an extension along with A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf.

Brown was the first one to get an extension finalized and that allowed Samuel to get a better deal than him despite Brown being the better player. Now, I highly doubt Aiyuk will manage to get a deal similar to the likes of Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb who are due for extensions.

But he can at least get something in between what Smith and those prominent receivers are getting. So, Aiyuk should happily wait for his extension as it will only help him receive more from them should a deal be made.