Does Brandon Aiyuk Benefit From Justin Jefferson's Extension?

Anytime a wide receiver resets the market with a new contract it only benefits Brandon Aiyuk for his negotiations with the 49ers, but that might not be the case after Justin Jefferson received his extension.

Dec 31, 2023; Landover, Maryland, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) celebrates with fans after defeating the Washington Commanders at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Good news for All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

He just may have gained more leverage over the San Francisco 49ers in their contract negotiations. Justin Jefferson, arguably the best receiver in the NFL, was just extended by the Minnesota Vikings in a deal that has him being paid the most of any non-quarterback.

To paint a clearer picture, Jefferson now makes way more guaranteed money at $88.7 million than the second-highest deal that Tyreek Hill has at $52.5 million. A deal like this will surely benefit Aiyuk in his contract negotiations with the 49ers.

Or does it? Every contract extension from a wide receiver this offseason has helped Aiyuk, but Jefferson is in a realm of his own, especially with the monstrous deal that is an outlier. So, does Aiyuk actually benefit from Jefferson's extension?

I don't think he does. He of course will try to use this against the 49ers and the 49ers will happily laugh. For starters, Aiyuk is nowhere near the caliber of player Jefferson is. To use Jefferson's deal as a means to drive up his own price is ridiculous. In fact, he probably shouldn't even mention it.

It also would be one thing if Jefferson simply received a lucrative extension. His deal was always going to reset the market, but the Vikings did that and more by creating serious distance from the second-highest wide receiver deal. It essentially becomes an outlier extension now.

Almost like when the Cleveland Browns foolishly gave Deshaun Watson his deal that cleared the second-highest quarterback contract. These outlier contracts cannot be used, and if Aiyuk remains adamant in doing so, then he and the 49ers will never get a deal done.

One thing is for sure is the 49ers are certainly not going to use Jefferson's deal into their extension with Aiyuk. He has to realize that is not going to happen given the two circumstances are completely different. If Aiyuk wants to cite Devonta Smith and even Amon-Ra St. Brown in negotiations with the 49ers, then by all means. It is fair game.

But it will not work out for him if he tries hard to bring in Jefferson's extension to gain leverage. It will not work, so he does not benefit at all from the Vikings making Jefferson the highest paid non-quarterback.