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Why the 49ers Still Haven't Extended Brandon Aiyuk's Contract

Let's be realistic. Aiyuk has some leverage and seems to have no preference whether he plays for the Steelers or the 49ers. If the 49ers offer him what the Steelers have offered him, he would take it. But what figure do the 49ers have to match?

Grant Cohn

January 1, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) runs the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
January 1, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) runs the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Brandon Aiyuk wants $28 million per season and the Steelers seem willing to give him that much.

The 49ers aren't willing or haven't offered him more than $26 million per season yet. But according to recent reports, the 49ers have re-engaged Aiyuk in contract negotiations and are optimistic that they can get a long-term deal done.

I'm less optimistic.

Let's be realistic. Aiyuk has some leverage and seems to have no preference whether he plays for the Steelers or the 49ers. If the 49ers offer him what the Steelers have offered him, he would take it. But what figure do the 49ers have to match?

Let's say the Steelers would pay Aiyuk $28 million per season exactly. The state income tax rate in Pennsylvania is 3.07% -- it's a flat rate. So after state income taxes in Pennsylvania, Aiyuk would earn $27,140,400 per season on average.

In California, the state income tax rate for the richest people is 12.3%. Which means if the 49ers were to offer him $28 million per season, after state income taxes he would earn $24,556,000. That's $2,584,400 per season less than he would make with the Steelers.

So for the 49ers to truly match Pittsburgh's offer, they would have to give him roughly $31 million per season. And I sincerely doubt the 49ers would give Aiyuk that much money. Which is why I'm skeptical that he will sign an extension with them. It seems. more likely that they'll trade Aiyuk to the Steelers once they realize they can't afford his asking price.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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