49ers waiting to pay Brandon Aiyuk is coming back to haunt them

Unless you've been living under a rock all offseason, you're aware the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk have been locked into a contract dispute.

The terms are simple enough: Aiyuk wants to be paid like one of the NFL's top receivers, and the 49ers can't (or won't) meet that demand.

There were rumors the two sides were closing in on a deal much earlier in the offseason, but the contract signed by wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Detroit Lions, with its average annual salary of just over $30 million, caused Aiyuk to change his mind and continue negotiations.

From there, a meeting called by Aiyuk in late June was categorized as "good" by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, suggesting that maybe an agreement could be made that would make both parties happy.

Since St. Brown's deal was inked in late April, the Philadelphia Eagles extended their receiver, A.J. Brown, at $32 million per year, the Miami Dolphins signed wide receiver Jaylon Waddle to a deal worth just over $28 million per year, and the Minnesota Vikings made star pass catcher Justin Jefferson the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league to the tune of $35 million per year and $110 of the $140 million guaranteed.

Add to all that the recent agreement between the Chicago Bears and wide receiver D.J. Moore (four years for $110 million, including $82.6 million guaranteed, an AAV of $27.5 million) and the rumors about the Dallas Cowboys and their top wideout, Ceedee Lamb, nearing a deal closer to Jefferson than any of the others, and the reported $26 million per year the 49ers' offered to Aiyuk earlier this offseason is starting to look worse than it might have at the time from the receiver's perspective.

As Niners fans, we've seen this ballet before, as it has been a staple of the offseason for years now, starting with tight end George Kittle back in 2020, followed by linebacker Fred Warner in 2021, wide receiver Deebo Samuel in 2022, and 2023 with EDGE Nick Bosa.

All of those contracts, save for Bosa's, were signed in early-to-mid July just before training camp began.

But this dispute with Aiyuk seems to be the one where the tactic is not only coming back to bite San Francisco in real time, but could be one where the endgame could truly haunt the team into the future, especially if this whole ordeal ends with having to eventually trade Aiyuk, likely no earlier than 2025.

We'll never know all the details, but it feels like the situation may not have entirely been of the 49ers' own making this time, as it's at least partially clear that the Lions' deal with St. Brown caused things to get more difficult between Aiyuk and the Niners.

And, yes. With a potential quarterback Brock Purdy extension on the horizon, and left tackle Trent Williams holding out because he wants more guaranteed money on what will probably be the final contract of his NFL career, it was always clear the 49ers couldn't keep their entire core intact forever.

But that doesn't mean that these negotiations with Aiyuk shouldn't open up the eyes of the Niners' front office a little bit.

Maybe it's time to start setting markets rather than waiting to see how they'll shake out, because, in this case, it is beginning to look more and more likely that Aiyuk's days as a 49er are numbered.

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