What the 49ers Should Do With Brandon Aiyuk

Pray that it all works out.

October 4, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Jefferson has officially become the highest-paid non-QB in NFL History. With that massive deal, the 49ers must decide on the future of Brandon Aiyuk. What will the Niners do? Can they afford to sign him to a big deal or will it cost them in the long run?

In the NFL, there is no such thing as the biggest contract since those big deals become market resetters. It gives players an understanding of where their value should lie even if ownership disagrees. It’s how this business continues to grow, so if Jefferson is signing a record-breaking deal, Aiyuk is going to want that and more. Jefferson’s deal was rather friendly to the team, starting at $8.6 million in 2024 and going to $15 million in 2025, but after that, the numbers rise quickly. In 2026 his cap hit will be around $39 million, then $43 million, and one more in 2028 at $47 million. In those last 3 years, his contract will take up over 13% of the cap. This type of deal works for a team like the Vikings with cap space opening in the coming years. They can afford it, but the Niners are in a different scenario.

The 49ers have been having issues with cap space constantly this past season. With the massive deal they gave Nick Bosa, the former largest contract for a non-QB, their cap future is in a bad position. His cap hit gets up to $40 million in 2026 and only goes up more in 2027. Then you have Trent Williams' contract which is already taking up 13% of the cap and will go up, Deebo's contract taking up 11%, Christian McCaffrey’s new $38 million contract and Brock Purdy is due for a contract extension that will be massive. And don’t forget the fact that the Niners are already the second-highest cap-spending team at $251 million. 

So what does this team do? You can’t sign Aiyuk because it’ll only mess up your future, but you certainly don’t want to be forced to trade the second-highest graded wide reciever according to PFF. Even if you trade Aiyuk, do you see the team being successful with Jauan Jennings or Ricky Pearsall at WR2? I certainly don’t, but I do see two options.

The first is you try to convince him to sign an even cap-friendlier deal than Jefferson’s and backload the hell out of it over the next years. Doing this puts you in a desperate win-now mode that I’m unsure if Kyle Shanahan would be comfortable doing, that’s really putting your job on the line. The only other option that works is trading him for anything that can help. I would hope it to be an offensive lineman or a younger receiver unless you believe Pearsall can be the guy. This will become worse if they can’t get a deal done, then the Niners will be forced to trade him and won’t get good value. 

So what’s the best thing the fans can do? Pray that it all works out. Whether or not Aiyuk stays, hope that whatever you get gives you value to win a Super Bowl.