Is it Smart for the 49ers to Keep Brandon Aiyuk Against His Will?
![Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) talks to the media during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) talks to the media during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_8084,h_4547,x_0,y_233/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01j30xnzj12fye1z4254.jpg)
The 49ers have all the leverage. You've heard that before.
Brandon Aiyuk recently requested a trade because the 49ers haven't offered the contract extension he believes he's worth and the 49ers don't have to do a thing. Don't have to trade him OR pay him what he wants. Instead, they simply can do nothing and force him to play out the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and then franchise tag him the next two years if they feel like it. That's their leverage.
The 49ers want you to believe that they're not worried about a disgruntled Aiyuk derailing the season. They want you to believe that Aiyuk and Samuel will compete for the right to stay on the team long term and that this competition will bring out the best in both of them and help the team. Because if Aiyuk eventually gets the contract extension he wants, the 49ers won't be able to afford Samuel anymore. He'll have to go.
It's possible the 49ers can channel Aiyuk's anger into a great season for him and the team. It's also possible that forcing him and Samuel to compete for targets will tear the team apart. It's hard enough to get superstars to sacrifice personal glory for the sake of the team, something the 49ers were able to do last year. It's really hard to win when the best players care more about their numbers than winning. And that's the situation the 49ers are creating.
That's why they should give Aiyuk the money he wants or trade him to the Raiders for Davante Adams. One or the other.