The San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk seem to be headed towards an inevitable divorce. General manager John Lynch was asked about how the Niners would use the $24 million saved by voiding Aiyuk’s contract next season, and his answer was not super satisfying.
Lynch appeared on Bay Area sports insider Tim Kawakami’s podcast and said the following when Kawakami asked him about what San Francisco would do with those savings:
“We’ll see whatever the situation is. I think it’s really important that you spend it wisely. Going heavy on the draft, that’s a fun way to build it, and it’s probably the way that you should focus on now; we’ve had success through the draft.”
Lynch went on to talk about how the football is a young man’s game and really hammered home how youth is essential while also bringing up the fact the 49ers have a lot of money committed to other players as well.
This answer may be disappointing to some fans who thought the Niners might be more aggressive in free agency as a result of the Aiyuk situation. But for those paying attention, these remarks are consistent with the ones Lynch made last offseason about San Francisco getting younger and cheaper.
This does not seem to have been a one-off, due to the 49ers having to tighten the belt after signing quarterback Brock Purdy to a major extension while also extending veteran linebacker Fred Warner and tight end George Kittle.
Instead, this seems to be a new financial reality the Niners are embracing in which they are reluctant to go after the big fish in free agency.
Maybe that is the wisest strategy after how things have ended with their last two big wide receivers.
The Deebo Samuel saga had a similar story, although with a slightly less acrimonious ending. He made a big fuss for a new contract and got one but then never lived up to it, slowly declining until both sides realized that a split was best for all involved.
The Aiyuk situation seemed to be headed for a similar conclusion, but his major knee injury forced the 49ers to be a bit more aggressive to force a split, since they clearly regretted that four-year, $120 million contract almost immediately after it was signed.
Now, it seems unlikely San Francisco will entertain a pricey contract with a wide receiver at least for however long Lynch is still in charge of the front office. They may just choose to keep drafting wide receivers and hope that they work out, and then if any take off, they can just let them walk in free agency or trade them if they make a fuss.
Maybe the Niners could reinvest the savings from the voided Aiyuk deal into Jauan Jennings, but only if he asks for a reasonable contract. If he starts asking for a crazy number, then the 49ers would probably pull the plug on any contract talks because they do not want a repeat of Samuel or the Aiyuk debacle.
It is a bit of a disappointing answer, but maybe Lynch is right that focusing on youth, and the draft is the best way forward for San Francisco.