Do the 49ers Think Brandon Aiyuk is Immature?
![Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_7879,h_4431,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01j33et1eqgwt3yq7z4b.jpg)
The 49ers have made it their business to insult Brandon Aiyuk as much as possible this offseason.
He's one of their best players and he's coming off a second-team All Pro season, and yet they've offered him a contract extension that reportedly is worth $26 million per season. That's a lot of money, but it's significantly less than the extension that the Dolphins just gave to their no. 2 receiver, Jaylen Waddle. He's now earning $28 million per season and he plays in a tax-free state.
So why won't the 49ers pay Aiyuk what he's worth? And why haven't they engaged in contract talks with him since May?
It seems like the 49ers' issue with Aiyuk is personal.
They can't have an issue with him as a player -- he does everything right on the field. He blocks his butt off and he's an elite route runner who's an extremely efficient deep threat. And yet there's something about him that gives them pause.
Remember, Aiyuk played a ton as a rookie because there were injuries and the 49ers needed him to play. In his second season, he didn't perform well in training camp, and the coaching staff seemed to think he had an attitude of entitlement, so they put him in the doghouse and made him split playing time with Trent Sherfield and Mohamed Sanu.
Since then, Aiyuk mostly has kept quiet and done his job. Until this offseason. Suddenly, he has been extremely vocal for the first time in his career, and he has been vocal about his displeasure with the organization.
Is this why the 49ers haven't upped their offer to Aiyuk yet? Are they concerned about what he'll become if they make him a made man?
I guess we'll never know for sure.