Brandon Aiyuk Makes Honest Admission About 49ers Contract Standoff

Aiyuk admitted that his contract talks were a bit more difficult than they needed to be.

Aiyuk celebrates after a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Aiyuk's contract dispute with the San Francisco 49ers was one of the longest dragging storylines of the NFL offseason.

Aiyuk went as far as to request a trade from the organization, and reports indicated he was on the verge of being dealt at multiple points throughout the process before he ultimately agreed to terms to remain in San Francisco.

Having since returned to practice ahead of the season opening tilt against the New York Jets, scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9, Aiyuk spoke to reporters Tuesday about his lengthy negotiations with the 49ers, and he made a comical admission about his new four-year, $120 million deal.

"I'm not going to lie,” Aiyuk told reporters while laughing (via NBC Sports's Matt Maiocco). "I made it a little more difficult than I had to at the end."

The Aiyuk contract saga carried on throughout much of the offseason. The star wide receiver had publicly requested a trade from the team and hinted on social media that he'd be keen on joining the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Reports even indicated that the framework of trades had been agreed upon with both the New England Patriots and Cleveland Brown, though Aiyuk, who would need to agree to sign an extension with whatever team traded for him, shut down those deals.

After months of back and forth with the front office, Aiyuk received the new deal that sees him collect an average annual value of $30 million, which is tied with Tyreek Hill for the fifth highest AAV among wide receivers.

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