Brandon Aiyuk Likely to Hold Out of 49ers Training Camp
![Aug 18, 2020; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) runs during training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: San Francisco 49ers/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network Aug 18, 2020; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) runs during training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: San Francisco 49ers/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2830,h_1591,x_0,y_483/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01j36qhdsnss7734hx2q.jpg)
This should come as no surprise.
Brandon Aiyuk reportedly will hold out of 49ers training camp as he awaits a lucrative contract extension. This news comes a few days after Aiyuk officially requested a trade, so he clearly doesn't want to play for the 49ers unless they give him the deal he wants.
Aiyuk seems to want more than $28 million per season. Currently, only 29 players in the NFL make that much money. So his negotiation is extremely tricky and could take a long time if it gets done. Last year, the 49ers gave Nick Bosa an extension that averages a whopping $34 million per season, but they didn't finalize the deal until four days before the season opener. As a result, Bosa held out of training camp and the preseason. So why wouldn't Aiyuk do the exact same thing? No one criticized Bosa when he held out. It's business.
But when Bosa returned, he wasn't in football shape and, as a result, he had a down season by his standards. He struggled against the run, wasn't an All Pro and didn't receive any votes for the Defensive Player of the Year Award which he won in 2022.
So if Aiyuk sits out all of training camp and signs an extension at the 11th hour, will he have a down season, too?
It's worth noting that Aiyuk has had just one All Pro season -- last year. And he didn't hold out training camp. He participated in every practice which allowed him to have the best season of his career. How well will he perform with no practice and an offseason filled with stress and financial uncertainty?
I guess we'll find out.