Adam Schefter hints seldom-used strategy 49ers could deploy with Brandon Aiyuk

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN's Adam Schefter said the 49ers are likely using the franchise tag as leverage with Brandon Aiyuk.

The San Francisco 49ers don't typically use the franchise tag.

In fact, the last time they did so was with their former kicker, Robbie Gould, back in 2019 when the two parties were at a contractual stalemate. With Gould poised to hit free agency, the Niners applied the tag but managed to negotiate a new contract that effectively negated the unpopular tag.

San Francisco is again facing a contractual standoff, this time with star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk is reportedly seeking a deal worth an annual average of $30 million, while the 49ers are likely thinking somewhere around $26 million per year. While the Niners surely want to retain their best receiver from the last two seasons, they're in a strong negotiating position.

And part of that includes the potential of using the franchise tag on Aiyuk, which is what ESPN's Adam Schefter suggested as a real possibility.

Adam Schefter on franchise tagging Brandon Aiyuk: 'That's the 49ers' advantage'

Speaking on the situation during an episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Schefter revealed San Francisco could easily turn to the tag in 2025, when Aiyuk's current contract expires, if extension talks fully break down and go no further.

"The franchise tag here is a weapon for the 49ers, which is not what the franchise tag was intended to be," Shefter said. "But again, that's the 49ers' advantage."

Aiyuk is still under contract for 2024, playing on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option that's worth $14.124 million. The franchise tag cost for a wide receiver in 2025 is estimated to be $24.764 million, according to Over the Cap.

Significantly lower than what Aiyuk is asking for.

Related story: What 49ers may do if Brandon Aiyuk extension talks break down

While few players relish the prospects of being tagged, it would give the Niners a means to keep Aiyuk around another year, and they could tag him again in 2026.

Schefter added that San Francisco wants to retain Aiyuk, casting doubts on the multiple trade rumors surrounding the star wideout.

"They have wanted him back," Schefter continued. "They've intended to bring him back, but the wide receiver market has shifted, which makes it tough. So, it's harder to do a deal now than it was a couple of months ago. And Brandon Aiyuk thinks that he deserves what all these top receivers are getting, and the Niners have a certain price point figured out."

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