Jerry Rice Gives Advice to Brandon Aiyuk on Contract Talks With the 49ers

Perhaps some advice from the greatest wide receiver in NFL history can help Brandon Aiyuk on his contract talks with the 49ers.

Dec 25, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Retired San Francisco 49ers play Jerry Rice during warmups before the start of the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Training camp for the San Francisco 49ers is drawing closer and closer.

It is a pivotal benchmark for contract negotiations between them and Brandon Aiyuk. There is no telling what will occur when camp opens up on whether an agreement will be reached or not.

Aiyuk can either hold out, hold in, or show up and participate. It's tough for me to say what is the right choice for him, but one person who does have a ton of credibility on commenting on this situation is Hall of Famer and 49ers legend Jerry Rice.

He recently spoke to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area where he offered some advice for Aiyuk on his contract talks with the 49ers.

“I think his main focus right now, Brandon Aiyuk, is just to play football. Play football and just let his ability speak for itself, and we'll see what happens after the season. That's in his control. That's what you want. I think he would love to have had that security already, and he wouldn't have to really think about it and he can just go play football.

"But he still has an opportunity where he can just showcase his ability. I think the main thing for him right now, he's just got to play his best football. He’s got to show everybody that, ‘Hey, look, I'm that No. 1 guy. And if you, make me that No. 1 guy, I’m going to be productive.’ ”

It sounds like Rice is insinuating that Aiyuk needs to forget about the contract negotiations when training camp arrives. Otherwise, it will cut into his focus and start for the season. That makes a lot of sense when you consider what occurred for Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel the last two years.

Both of them had sluggish starts to their season because of how their contract negotiations dragged on. The last thing Aiyuk will want is to follow in their footsteps, especially if he has to play the final year of his deal. At that point, he definitely will not be able to maximize his value if he has a slow start.

I think Aiyuk showing up to day one of training camp is the right move. Or at least, he shouldn't miss more than a week so that it isn't that detrimental for him. He has no leverage and missing out on practices will hurt him more than the 49ers.